By Malay Desai
From: USA, created by DeVito/Verdi, New York
For the opening of a fashion brand’s flagship outlet in Times Square, the store front was made into an interactive screen, showcasing its ‘20 to 80 per cent off’ sale. For it to work, passersby would have to place their palm against a window, which would raise the curtain on a show, featuring an exotic dancer taking her clothes off. Her ‘peep show’ would correspond to the text displayed above her, ‘Wanna see what 80% off looks like?’.
Why we Like
For every brand fearing the faring of its ads because of the ‘big C’ – clutter, here’s a lesson on how smart technology blended with an oldfashioned concept can still make the cut. Case in point - American fashion brand Daffy’s, which recently did it at the country’s most advertised (perhaps one of the world’s most cluttered) outdoor locations.
Until the late 80s, New York’s biggest landmark, Times Square used to have as many ‘peep shows’, (strip performances at seedy booths) as it has billboards today. While they were gaudy indeed, (maybe less loud than the ads today), they were a unique legacy of the area. For the launch of Daffy’s flagship store – and to draw attention to its perennially discounted collection, the brand decided to doff its hat to this era and boy, did it work! The clear winner here is the motion sensor technology which made the execution possible. By inviting a passerby to place a hand to activate the video, the ad ensures his/her attention, which is a premium at Times Square. Well begun is more than half done here, as the forthcoming visuals – apretty girl unclothing herself – won’t lose eyeballs too soon. The core idea – ‘Wanna know what 80% (or 20, 40, 60 per cent) looks like’ is an ace; and it drives home the bargain clothier’s message straight and sharp. What’s more, to drive a large number of footfalls (a client’s favourite word, isn’t it?) at the store, electronic billboards were placed at other parts of NY. Now that’s a pretty wholesome plan. For us hopefuls for a better, bolder tomorrow in Indian advertising, there is a while to go before we see a show like this. Although it seems like a safe concept, there’s the fear of an expensive installation being brought down by narrow-minded idiots we have in plenty (ask any undergarment advertiser for details). The motion sensors and electronic takeovers at store fronts, however, are ideas that need to be replicated, ASAP!
