A bit of a catch-up post today in light of several weeks of travel… here then all the latest stories to know about surrounding fashion and tech from the past fortnight or so:
“First Kiss” film (as above) goes viral with 63 million views – is ad for clothing label Wren [NY Times]
Gucci launches own Spotify music hub to promote short film ‘The Fringe’ [The Drum]
John Lewis looks to digital innovation as next big thing in retail with ‘JLab incubator’ [The Guardian]
It’s straight to Vegas for me and headfirst into CES for what’s looking set to be a week heavy on the wearables front. More of that to follow, but for now, here’s a highlight of some of the fashion and tech stories you may have missed over the past couple of weeks…
H&M and Beckham return to The Super Bowl with ground-breaking shoppable TV ad campaign [WGSN]
Instagram reveals ‘promising’ results of Levi’s and Ben & Jerry’s ad trial [Marketing Magazine]
Uniqlo matches clothing to recipes in new app [DigitalBuzzBlog]
Ferragamo weaves founder’s history into fairy tale film [Luxury Daily]
Urban Outfitters, H&M lead teen retailers in leveraging mobile for engagement [Mobile Commerce Daily]
Nike, MTV are top global brands on Instagram in 2013 [BrandChannel]
How in-store analytics is changing the way you shop [Fashionista]
Beacons: What they are, how they work, and why Apple’s iBeacon technology is ahead of the pack [Business Insider]
What fashion adds to the tech world: Vanessa Friedman on wearables [FT]
Smart eyelashes and fingernails: the next wave of wearable tech [Mashable]
Can Apple’s Angela Agrendts spark a retail revolution? [Fast Company]
Parisian retailer Colette hosted an ‘Art Drive-Thru’ as part of Art Basel Miami last week, open 24/7 and complete with shoppable digital screens.
A partnership with local concept boutique, Alchemist, the initiative was inspired by retro American drive-thrus of the 50s. Far from typical burgers and fries, however, the menu offered everything from a $27,500 Bamford x Rolex watch to a $6,500 set of Damien Hirst skateboards (both sold out by the way). There were multiple other big names on sale including Jeff Koons, Kenzo, Thom Browne, Karl Lagerfeld, Zaha Hadid, Kitsune, Longchamp and of course Colette.
It was hosted at 1111 Lincoln Road on level five of the car park. Drivers could pull up to one of three kiosks reminiscent of pinball machines and use iPad size screens to order their items. Those pieces would then be delivered by girls on roller skates.
The temporary space, in place from December 2 to 8, was created by René Gonzales Architect.
Through a new partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, designers and retailers will be able to broadcast a multi-person video chat while offering viewers the ability to simultaneously browse and purchase products alongside. That functionality is seen in a right hand bar featuring key products, which it is assumed would line up to the content being discussed.
Designer Diane von Furstenberg (also CFDA president) will launch the feature on October 3 at 8pm EST. Using the tool as a form of personal styling, she will talk about three current trends with five of the brand’s biggest fans – selected especially for the occasion.
Lorraine Twohill, VP of global marketing at Google referred to the initiative as a “one of a kind shopping experience”.
Of course shoppable video at large is something that’s yet to be nailed by the industry, with reasons ranging from the technology that’s enabled it to happen, to the disconnect that is seen through the lean-back nature of video compared to lean-in side of shopping. On that basis however, there’s a lot to be said for engaging the consumer when they’re already thinking about the product (in this instance often the very reason they’re tuning in), and providing the easy ability for them to convert.
The experience marries up to Topshop’s Customise the Catwalk initiative in terms of being able to order straight from the runway through the live video being shown. The difference in this case of course is that the discussion surrounds current season. Rather than encouraging pre-orders, brands and retailers can offer live product; therefore capturing intent and delivering on it immediately.
Other brands set to participate shortly include rag & bone, Rebecca Minkoff, and Rachel Zoe. Google is particularly pushing the app’s relevance for the holiday period – retail’s most lucrative time of year, representing up to 40% of annual sales in 2012. It is calling for retailers to use it to “engage with consumers directly around key items or trends they want to highlight”.
fashion and mash 