The MAGIC HOUR

We love it when something disrupts a market and forces people to think differently.

Picture this; a pop up shop, that is only open for an hour at sun rise and sun set, is set in the most remote of locations and travels to 15 different location in 11 different countries…. sounds like the retailer rule book was not only torn up but blown to smithereens right?

Well…

Peak Performance decided to both challenge and reward their most intrepid explorers and loyal customers by creating a pop up shop that rewarded the adventurous  by offering some Peak Performance apparel for free, it was called the "Magic Hour".

Turns out that the pop up shop is actually an online store, so the adventurer must have a smart device with GPS in order to claim their product along with an on location selfie in order to verify their location.



We think this great use of technology really helped the brand operate on a global scale and by a whole new set of rules whilst also blurring the lines of physical and online retail.

We raise our muddy trainers in celebration of this digital experiential campaign, well done, the bar is well and truly raised.

Programmable Materials - The world is a changing, all on its own!

At the 2014 Wired event we were totally blown away by a guy called Skylar from MIT (let's be honest, for a tech guy, his name is awesome!). He spoke about materials becoming autonomous with their own ability to react to passive energy to change their form or function.

Wooooaaaaahhhh! What? Ok, back up.

So materials naturally have their own abilities. We know wood expands and contracts. Steel absorbs heat and its temperature changes in response to the environment around it. That's accepted. But what Skylar is talking about is that a piece of wood can transform from a flat sheet in to an 3D elephant...with nothing other than natural energy sources such as moisture, heat and sound. Mind-boggling!

How has MIT Self-Assembly Lab achieved this? By taking 3D printing to a whole other dimension and adding time (effectively 4D printing). By printing with a mixture of materials, one for the static, rigid structure, the other for the movement and expansion part, they can program materials that react to natural energy. Watch this video to see how it works:

So Programmable Matter: is the science engineering and design of physical matter that has the ability to change form or function in a programmable fashion. That breaks down to 3 stages:

So by that very statement, it could be possible in the future to turn a chair in to a table. 

You may remember the advert from Zurich Insurance back in 2007 that positioned the world as changeable. Well, with this technology it could very well be possible in a much more sophisticated way. Imagine that. Your coffee house turns in to a retail shop when the coffee rush is over, that then turns in to a restaurant, which then turns in to a bar. Now that's making the most of rental values!

Skylar claims it is now possible to programme nearly every material to assemble themselves and transform in useful ways. This changes construction, packaging, shipping, environments, everything. This development in material coding puts us all on the edge of a radical revolution and will change they way we will live our lives.

How would you use it to change your world?

To watch the entire video click here.

New STORY to tell

A retail space that changes every 4 to 8 weeks. 

OK, that's insane. 

We've seen small retail spaces do this across multiple brands but never one that is curated by one brand. Not that actually closes and changes the fit-out each time! Well, now we have seen and what we saw was truly impressive.

But first, to back up a bit.

This trip to NYC started off feeling a little bit conservative. Talking to big brands and getting the sense that they thought change was something that happened on the moon, we started to feel disappointed. So off to find something of interest in the big apple. Surely this great city hasn't slowed down and got boring all of a sudden. Heading out down the High Line (which is amazing btw) we dropped in to Chelsea and chatted to a few locals. The talk of the town? Stories. A project curated by Rachel Shechtman with a single vision: Retail has a new STORY.

We finally found it and upon entry was surprised to find that this was not a low key, cheap approach to retail in an attempt to be different for different sake. It was good. Really good. Excellent branding. Superb interiors. And of course, a great story. The story. At this point, relief. Relief that that sense of worry just passed on by. NYC was back and ready to deliver.

Story is more like a magazine than a store. In the same way as a mag, the store completely changes to reflect a theme, trend or issues. Originally set up as a matchmaker between brands and consumers the space just keeps going further and further. From making pasta to hosting TED talks. 

Each story has a relevance to issues, trends or events happening at that very time. Previous stories include Good, Love, Made in America, Art, Wellness and of course Home for the Holidays, happening right now.

As part of the talk at the A.R.E. we talked about the importance of pop-ups and the sense of change they bring to a community. The fact that this sense of change keeps people coming back to bricks and mortar. As a whole, the US don't really embrace this new opportunity but this store, this goes way further than anything we've seen anywhere in the world! 

Could this be done in the UK? Would it bring a sense of something new to a town on the cutting edge? Eh, yeah! To the Westfield's of the world, get in touch with Rachel. This the next big thing.

The first ever store in the World selling emotions...

The Worlds first store to ever sell emotions. A few seedy locations in soho may well challenge that but nevertheless, this is a bold claim. Not the 'Worlds first' part, the 'selling emotions' part. Could this blacked out retail unit in Chelsea, NYC, really sell emotions? Lets see. 

Step inside and we're greeted by an unexpected coolness. This definitely isn't a dodgy sex shop. A white box with flora and colour everywhere. Wonderfully propped with Manhattan style art and bell-domes neatly arranged on a long, slick white table. And the smell...the smell is hard to pin point as there seems to be a collision of tones in the air but its nice. Its warming and ever so slightly homely.

A host greets us with the uncanny NYC charm, asks us to sign in and register our bar code. Then we're introduced to Katie and Mel who lift one bell-dome at a time, explain each smell and teach us how to smell the different scents. 

After this we are walked to a circular space with 5 doors. A bit Alice like and equally intriguing. Each room has been set with a theme. Relax, Flirty. Slightly cheesy but fitting. Step in to each room and there is a unique smell, each with photo opportunities for you to capture the essence of the room and embrace mood.

In fairness, the fun was over after the second room. The rooms become overpowering and your nostels felt abused. Not that that stopped SJR getting half naked in an attempt to win a prize that didn't exist. The experience over and yes, I did feel different and had certainly felt emotional at times. But where was the sell? Where was the trade of emotions for some other commodity? 

It was only when we went to leave that we flicked through a book on the side and then realised who and what product was behind it all. And what a surprise. Totally unexpected. 

Glade. Glade candles. The store was selling candles! Now I'm not a candle type of guy but wow, I'd buy of the back of this. We love this kind of disruption. Flat out bonkers but relevant. A totally different way to sell candles, not just a new logo or new brand.

So is the claim justified? Its pushing it a bit so questionable. Was it an amazingly unexpected immersive experience that blew our minds? Hell yeah! Truly original and wonderfully executed. Only addition we'd add? Have a separate route out so as not to give it away on entry and display the product for grab and go purchases. You'd make a killing.

Hats off to Glade for one of the best and most unexpected finds on Manhattan.

Keith goes KITH

The level of cool in the sneaker industry has gone through the roof recently. With the emergence of ATHLEISURE as a trend, guys and girls alike are going crazy for limited editions and sports wear that can rival a pair of Jimmy Choos or an All Saints jacket.

On a recommendation, we were directed towards KITH in NYC Soho. The sneaker store on its own is legendary but it just got extended to adjoin the adjacent apparel store. And what a environment! Super slick, white installation-like space with sparing visual merchandising and subtle art pieces with everyday objects. From all white sneakers en masse to white, grey and black pencils used to make mesmerising works of art, this feels more like a Jil Sander store than an urban sportswear brand.

But, and there's a big but. As cool as it was, it was possibly the most disappointing stores we visited. It was the only store we visited in NYC that had staff that just didn't care. They were too cool for school and as such totally spoilt the experience. A real shame but it just goes to prove once again....you can design the best space in the world but if the staff don't live and breath the essence of the brand and make people welcome, forget it. Save your money, go on a spanking holiday and start something else instead.

Tactile Digital experiences: We just don't see the point of doing digital experiences in store...

That is, we don't if you're just going to stick in an iPad or a touch screen to give customers access to your web site. What's the point? We'd much rather surf the web from the comfort of a sofa with a beer, safe in the knowledge the kids are, at last, in bed! Add to that, everyone from our eldest at the age of 3 to Nana at the age of 92 can, and has, used a touch screen. The novelty factor has pretty much worn off. 

So how can digital offer more in the real world?

Everyone is talking about digital. At Euroshop earlier this year, everyone was talking about the impact of digital on physical space. Yet few we're actually saying anything at all (unless it was back end operational processes....yawn). 

This got us thinking and we reckon there is an answer that makes digital in the real world totally unique. Tactile Digital experiences.

Think about the main reasons we flock to physical retail spaces:

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1. We like to touch things 

2. We like to smell things

3. We like to discover things for ourselves

4. Its convenient 

5. Its social

Think about pretty much every digital experience you've ever had in store. Its cold. You're never really 'in it' or 'part of it'. Just a mere controller of pre-determined routes.

Think differently. Try to imagine a digital experience that you become part of. One that is activated by something physical rather than touching a button or a screen. This is a Tactile Digital Experience.

Our first ever experience of this type of experience was back in 1992. Disney had just opened the Alien ride/experience in Florida and when the Alien escaped and ran around the building in the pitch black, air jets behind your legs sent burst of air at the same time the surround sound made it seem like he just ran behind you. Oh, and when he was shot, they shot jets of water at you that felt like the aliens blood. Lovely. We now know this as Haptic technology and it will become part of the home 4D cinema experience within the next 5 years.

Although this is a theme park ride, its parallels with retail are vast. At the end of the day, this is true theatre. And this is what landlords and brands want to recreate in the retail world. Experiences that you are a part of, that you can feel. That make you smile and want to tell your friends about.

Bring it right up to 2014 and there have been some superb examples of Tactile Digital Experiences. 

Audi City with their RFID enable car configurator that has changed the way you buy an Audi today (click here to read more). Pick up any swatch from the colour wall and whilst your personalised Audi is displayed on screen, place it on the table and the car automatically changes colour. You didn't touch any buttons, you didn't ask it to, it just did. And why did you pick up that Flame Red swatch instead of the black you choose on screen? Because its vibrant and looks lush in real life that you just can't appreciate on screen.

Klepierre's inspiration tunnel is another wonderful example whereby a whole immersive experience is kick started by the products you have just bought. Through ID recognition and push notification messaging you are invited to a world of inspiration that again would be impossible to do within the restrictions of the real world.

Next up was an experimental installation at the Digital Revolution exhibit at the Barbican recently. The last room was almost pitch black, filled with smoke and had lasers pointing downwards. Step up to the laser and you could knock it away from you by pushing it, kicking it, bumping it. But it would always come back like a pendulum. You could bounce it between friends or put your arms around it to trap it. Although purely experimental, you could almost feel it as you touched it. It felt like it had a physical entity. And what made it a true Tactile Digital Experience was that its impossible to recreate online.

Not all Tactile Digital Experiences work out though. The highest profile example of this is Burberry Live on Regent St. Pick up a handbag and hold it in front of a mirror. The mirror magically becomes a screen and then shows you the bag....turning round. That's it. The same bag your holding is now turning round on a screen. Why on Gods earth did someone think this would heighten the shopping experience? The content of the digital has to go way past what the physical space will allow. 

Don't get us wrong, there are some awesome digital experiences out there that aren't touch screens that work beautifully. Inamo's projection tables, the Boots app, The Pepsi Max bus shelter, Disney MagicBand, Emart Sale Navigation, they all offer more to enhance the real world experience. Tactile Digital Experiences just go that bit further and push it in a whole new direction.

So how do we define a truly worthwhile Tactile Digital Experience? 3 key components:

1. It has to be initiated by something physical

2. It has to go further than the limitations of physical space

3. It can't be recreated online

TYC are currently working on a Tactile Digital Experience for one of our clients who wants to change the UK public perception of health retail. This experience will allow customers to engage in a sector that currently seems almost impossible to understand and in a way that just seem natural. We'll be able to share more details shortly as it will hit the high street in December.

In a time when everyone is talking about saving the high street and reshaping the physical space with digital, these type of experiences may very well bring the excitement back to bricks and mortar and provide a reason to step away from the mouse. Go the real world!

Solar Frickin roadways - its the future!

As our agency mantra is all about 'Only working with clients who want to change a sector or create something remarkable' we're always on the look out for those who are working in a same way.

And oh boy, have these guys change a sector! Solar Roadways are a US company who have come up with an ingenious idea to not only change roads, but how to solve part of the world energy problem. 

Solar Roadways have created a modular paving system of solar panels that can replace any conventional road surface! Amongst many other cool features, the panels generate renewable energy and can even heat the road in icy conditions! 

And what a way to promote such an incredible invention! Watch the video and be prepared to fall in love with this brand.

A great approach and it just shows bluesky thinking can become reality and change the way we live. This summer, Solar Roadways raised 2.2m$ on Indiegogo, which was more than double the original funding.

Not sure if we'll ever be able to change world energy problems but we'll certainly tackle each challenge on at a time. Yesterday, the retail landscape of TfL alongside changing the UK publics perception of Health retail.

 Who knows what tomorrow might bring? But whatever the challenge, it'll be frickin awesome just like Solar Frickin roadways!