close friends. case no. 13
Kyustendil, Bulgaria
Studio launch
Soúl 13.
Launching a pilates reformer studio before its doors opened
By close friends.
485K
organic views in 90 days, no ads
4
months of teasers before opening
The question
“How do you make a town want a studio it has never seen?”
Soúl 13 offers reformer classes in small groups, with individual attention. We built its identity, shaped the grand opening and left behind a content system the team still uses.
- Client
- Soúl 13 Pilates Reformer Club
- Industry
- Fitness and wellness
- Location
- Kyustendil, Bulgaria
- Starting point
- A new business with no name, no audience and no identity
- Services
- Brand book and identity, launch strategy, content strategy, photoshoots, AI content, flyers, stickers and branded merchandise
Key highlights
0
organic views in 90 days
0
accounts reached
0
interactions
0
views on a single post
Data source: Instagram Insights, 1 August to 29 October 2026. No paid advertising.
Four months, one door
The teasers went up long before the doors opened.
keep scrolling
Fig. 1 The lounge at Soúl 13, where the first clients waited for class.
The challenge
Build demand before opening.
Soúl 13 was starting from zero, with no established audience or identity. In a town where word of mouth matters, we needed to give people a reason to notice it, understand what made it different and become interested before the first class.
The opening was our first milestone. Keeping people engaged afterwards was the next.
Our approach.
Five chapters
- 01
Chapter 1
of 5Build a place that feels like care
The brand book and identity grew from one idea: somewhere to look after your body, in small groups, with personal attention. Soft pink, editorial type and a calm, feminine voice make it feel intimate from the very first post.
Fig. 2 The embroidered towels and the lit sign at reception.
- 02
Chapter 2
of 5Make the opening an event
We started building anticipation four months before the grand opening. The content moved from early teasers to invitations and playful questions such as “Will you go to Soúl 13 with me?”
By introducing Soúl 13 before revealing the full experience, we gave the town time to recognise the brand and follow its progress towards opening day.
- Early teasers
- Invitations
- Playful questions
- Grand opening
Soúl 13Will you go to Soúl 13 with me?
answer the story
Fig. 3 The question, as a story. Go on, answer it.
- 03
Chapter 3
of 5Give clients something to hold
Socks, stickers, cups, bottles, boxes and flyers made a class feel like a membership, not a timetable. Each piece carried the identity outside the classes, giving clients something recognisable to take home, use and photograph.
peel one off
Fig. 4 The Soúl 13 sticker sheet. Every one peels off.
- 04
Chapter 4
of 5Show the room before it existed
Before the doors opened, there was only the interior design. We used AI to bring it to life, so the town could see the space before it was finished, alongside playful concepts such as a heart-shaped phone and a reformer inside a ring box. Once Soúl 13 opened, shoots on site replaced the visualisations with the actual room, the reformers and the instructors.
Fig. 5 The room, the reformers and the mirror wall, shot on site after opening.
- 05
Chapter 5
of 5Leave a system, not just posts
Alongside the launch, we built a content strategy with clear pillars, the kinds of posts the account would keep returning to. When our work finished in the summer, the Soúl 13 team continued using those pillars and the established visual direction.
Fig. 6 One set, every season: flip it to Christmas.
Room by room, after opening
The result
1 Aug to 29 Oct 2026
485,481
Reach far beyond the room.
Between 1 August and 29 October 2026, Soúl 13 generated 485,481 organic Instagram views, reached 45,706 accounts and recorded 9,468 interactions, without paid advertising.
The reporting period includes content produced by close friends. and posts published independently by the Soúl 13 team, following the content strategy and visual direction we developed.
One post alone attracted more than 121,000 views. All of this came from an account with fewer than 600 followers.
Under 600followers
121,000+views on one post
The room holds a small group. The feed doesn't.
Studio launch FAQ
the short answers.
Start with identity and anticipation, not the timetable. For Soúl 13, close friends. created the brand book first, then built curiosity with teasers well ahead of launch day, so future clients knew how the place would feel and wanted to be there before the first class began.
Earlier than most owners expect. Soúl 13's first teaser went out four months ahead of its grand opening. That window gave the business time to build curiosity, introduce itself and turn launch day into an event the local audience was waiting for, rather than a surprise.
Yes, with content worth sharing. Soúl 13 earned 485,481 organic views in 90 days from a profile with under 600 followers, mostly among non-followers. Playful concepts, behind-the-scenes moments and branded details gave viewers reasons to watch, save and pass posts on.
Yes, before and after opening. Before the space was finished, close friends. used AI to visualise the interior design and create playful concepts, so people could see Soúl 13 early. After opening, on-site photography of the room, reformers and instructors took over, because real images are what earn lasting trust.
Opening a studio?
From the brand book to launch day and everything after, we'll help clients want your space before they've seen it.
