Disney Store Launches Magical New Store Design
Disney Store is poised to redefine children’s retail, launching a new store design in major markets across the U.S and Europe. More than 20 new and remodeled Disney Store locations are slated to open this year.
The innovative Disney Store design, unveiled for the first time at The Shops at Montebello in Montebello, CA, is a unique destination developed from a child’s perspective. The new store design integrates the latest technology to create an enhanced shopping experience inspired by Disney’s most popular characters and stories.
“We have infused Disney magic into all elements of this one-of-a-kind retail experience, and have selected prime retail centers to launch the Disney Store of the future,” said Jim Fielding, President of Disney Stores Worldwide. “Special features like the iconic Disney Princess castle with magic mirror and the Disney Store Theater are just two of the amazing elements in the new store.”
In-Store Mobile Program Supports AVATAR Launch
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and JAGTAG have launched a mobile campaign for the release of AVATAR on Blu-ray disc and DVD.
The in-store program leverages JAGTAG’s 2D mobile barcodes in promotions at Best Buy and Kmart locations to offer AVATAR fans clips from the film immediately and the chance to opt-in for ongoing multimedia mobile content.
Every shopper with a cameraphone can snap a photo of the AVATAR-branded JAGTAG on the AVATAR display to receive ongoing AVATAR content throughout the year.
“With this new campaign, we are able to connect with consumers in-store in a new way, while extending the opportunities for engagement through an opt-in mobile update program,” said Mary Daily, Exec. VP, Marketing Fox Home Entertainment.
Target Reinvents Electronics & Video Game Department
Target is reinventing its consumer electronics and video game department, with a new open layout that will provide an enjoyable shopping experience.
The video game section is being expanded by 30%, revealing a large, open guest friendly format that will include new product-accessible fixtures organized by platform and game genres. A majority of stores will be further enhanced with video game Learning Centers and Trial Stations. Target’s new video game Learning Centers will feature a 40" high definition touch screen where guests can read reviews, learn about game features, and receive recommendations on best sellers.
“Target is committed to creating an intuitive and easy shopping experience,” said Mark Schindele, Sr. VP, Target. “Our guests have asked for additional product diversity and better access to games and information, and our new layout offers them just that.”
Walmart Displays New Hi-Tech Entertainment Products
Walmart is displaying new products in its Home Entertainment departments featuring new technologies that keep Americans connected inside and outside the home.
“Customers will discover more high quality internet-ready home entertainment products, new wireless technologies and new mobile devices that offer simple, affordable solutions for creating a more connected life,” said Gary Severson, Sr. VP, Home Entertainment, Walmart U.S. “We also continue to design a well-defined shopping experience in Entertainment that enables customers to find what they need quickly, learn about new technology, compare prices among top brands, and every day find amazing value.”
Walmart will create a “New Technology” HDTV Center, rolling out to 1,200 stores, to showcase new ultra-thin backlit and edge-lit LED TVs. Walmart continues to invest in Blu-ray, now featuring special displays within a redesigned movie department, rolling out to all stores and introducing more new movie values.
Interactive Display Promotes SnapStone Flooring
A unique flooring solution, SnapStone is a new porcelain tile that is permanently bonded to an interlocking tray with a rubberized base. As a floating floor, its benefit is that it can be installed over existing hard surfaces without the need for mortar or heavy underlayment.
SnapStone reached out to Pro-Motion Technology, Wixom, MI, (www.promotion.us), to create a fixture incorporating LCD/Media players and install them in 252 Menards locations as well as hundreds of specialty floor covering retailers. The Company is also launching a touch screen model in both Lowes and Avaire brand retailers.
“Marketing a new product, it's clear to us that incorporating an interactive component into our displays plays a large role in telling the SnapStone story, and ultimately driving sales,” said Matt Lessman, Marketing Manager, SnapStone.
LYSOL Displays No-Touch Hand Soap System
LYSOL, has introduced the No-Touch Hand Soap System, which helps stop the spread of germs by automatically sensing hands and dispensing antibacterial soap.
LYSOL Healthy TouchNo-Touch Hand Soap System Starter Kits are now available in Soothing Cucumber Splash scent and Cleansing Green Tea & Ginger scent (includes 1-dispenser, 1-8.5 oz. hand soap refill and 4 AA batteries). Hand soap refills (8.5 oz.) are available in three fresh scents: Soothing Cucumber Splash scent, Cleansing Green Tea & Ginger scent and Refreshing Grapefruit Essence scent.
Starter kits and hand soap refills are available at Wal-Mart and other grocery, drug and mass stores nationwide.
HP Transforms Walmart Photo Departments
Walmart is rolling out the HP “Prints in Minutes” retail publishing service in 3,600 of its stores across the U.S. Customers will be able to take advantage of a fast, high-quality photo print service as well as a broad array of personalized printed merchandise, at “Prints in Minutes” kiosks.
The service features the HP Instant Print Solution, a self-serve system that lets consumers pick up orders for prints and creative products within minutes of ordering or at a later time by using a secure order storage feature.
Sony Offers Retailers New Photofinishing Kiosk
Sony has added features to its Sony PictureStation to meet retailers’ expanding digital photo printing needs. Sony’s solutions can be customized for different sales environments - a countertop unit in the form of the Sony SnapLab or a stand-alone PictureStation kiosk. Sony's system helps retailers offer everything from 4x6 photo prints to MemoryStick media, digital photo frames, Cybershot digital cameras, batteries and readable/writeable disks for sharing and storing photos.
Belinda Lopresti, Senior Marketing Manager, Sony’s Digital Photofinishing business, said, “This ‘Sony United” approach allows retailers to leverage Sony’s brand power, while increasing customer traffic and extending store visits. Lopresti said, “SonyPictureStation allows the smaller stores to offer the same top quality prints as mass retailers, and also a wider selection of digital photo-related accessories.”
Latitude 30 & Wireless Grids Create Hi-Tech Restaurant & Entertainment Facility
Latitude 30 has formed a joint venture with Wireless Grids Corp. in creating the world’s first wireless grid-enabled entertainment and dining facility. Latitude 30 will integrate a wireless matrix that will interact with its customers’ mobile phones, smart phones, PDA’s, digital cameras, laptop computers, or any wireless device.
As people enter Latitude 30, they will have the opportunity to join the Wireless Matrix and take part of the Social Media Xperience. Once a person joins the Wireless Matrix he or she will have specialized access to Latitude 30’s multiple dining and entertainment venues such as: VIP access to live events, preferred seating in the restaurant, special pricing on food, drinks, bowling, and the dinner cinema. They will also have the ability to interact with others that are part of the matrix.
GestureTek has debuted its new GestTable™, a 42" LCD multi-touch surface computing solution. The shallow panel less than 10" deep can be dropped into a turnkey table or built into a custom display. Units can also be locked together in modular format to enable large images to be presented across multiple screens. For more information, contact GestureTek, 317 Adelaide St. W, Toronto, ON M5V 1P9 Canada; Tel. 416 340 9290; (Web site) www.gesturetek.com
Digital View has released a 10" widescreen version of its all-in-one ‘VideoFlyer’ digital display and media player. The VideoFlyer 10" is ideally proportioned for shelf-edge mounting. It offers high quality video and audio, alongside options for touch screen interactivity, motion sensors and barcodes. The VideoFlyer 10" incorporates a high resolution, LCD display with Digital View’s ViewStream media player. For more information, contact Digital View Group, (Tel) 408-782-7773; (Web site) www.digitalview.com
Walls + Forms creates multi media kiosks for wireless carriers comprised of modular fixture units. This kiosk includes a register counter; storage/display counter; corner, large and small showcase; filler counter; header section and swing gate. Each unit is manufactured in a modular format, to allow additional modules to be added or subtracted. The multi-media kiosks also include a header, which contains track lighting powered by halogen lights. All units have wire management accessibility. Custom signs and graphics draw attention to the kiosks. For more information, contact Walls + Forms Inc. (Tel) 972-745-0800, (Web site) www.wallsforms.com
Sparks Exhibits, a global event marketing agency headquartered in Philadelphia, recently transformed The Hilton Anatole Dallas into a Hollywood-themed aura on behalf of the DIRECTV Revolution Dealer Conference. Sparks created two of the three distinct event sections - a massive 17,500 sq. ft. Dealer Resource Center and a large studio store featuring DIRECTV merchandise. Both areas fit the Hollywood theme and were tech'ed out throughout with interactive kiosks, flat screen media arrays, a massive film reel entryway with built in screens, as well as complex smart phone displays and the Connected Home, a 13' ft. tall scale model of a home complete with working flat screen televisions featuring DIRECTV satellite programming throughout. (Web site) www.sparksonline.com
ESI Design, a New York City-headquartered experience and exhibit design firm, recently created the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. The 40,000 square-foot Pavilion, known as the “Dream Cube,” encouraged visitors to participate in an impressive multimedia experience comprised of cutting-edge technology, dreamlike environments, collaborative social spaces and sustainably designed materials.The Dream Cube experience transformed moment-by-moment via the spectators’ collective participation. Crowd-sourced photos uploaded by the public at the Dream Cube website blended with stunning video on immense media walls. Beds of glowing LED crystalline reeds change color with the sweep of visitors’ hands. A 360-degree interactive theater showcased the audience’s gestures and physical actions, which triggered dramatic changes to millions of LED lights on the Dream Cube’s facade. (Web site) www.esidesign.com
Heineken Conducts ‘Plug Into Summer’ Promotion
Heineken is conducting a ‘Plug into Summer’ consumer initiative aimed at bringing off-the-chart music experiences from some of the hottest music artists to consumers. The program combines promotional packaging, cutting-edge brand experiences, exclusive merchandise tie-ins with partners such as Fender Guitars, and an on- and off-premise display program.
Breege Murphy, Channel Marketing Manager, Heineken USA, said, “Our blowout ‘Plug into Summer’ program has all the elements to inspire consumers to seize the moment and ‘plug in’ by creating the ultimate summer party at home through the fusion of great music, incredible fusion food suggestions and ice cold Heineken and Heineken Light beer.”
Interactive retail displays featuring light, sound and themed display enhancers, including branded guitars, iPod docking speaker with amp and lighted music towers, will create electrifying in-store music destinations.
Augmented Reality Breakfast Game Served Up To Promote Honey Nut Cheerios
Saatchi & Saatchi NY along with digital media developer Boffswana (www.boffswana.com) are employing Unity Technologies’ augmented reality for General Mills’ Cheerios brand. The ‘Honey Nut Cheerios Honeyway Train’ augmented reality game uses the actual Cheerios cereal box -- connected via webcam -- as the game controller.
“Putting the clients’ product at the heart of the experience bridges the gap between the physical and digital,” said Robert Stock, Executive Producer, Boffswana. “We have created something unique and immersive by combining augmented reality with the easy to use power of the Unity engine.”
David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies, (www.unity3d.com), said, “The growing use of Unity outside of gaming confirms our prediction that ‘gamification’ is truly underway. We work very hard to make Unity as accessible as possible to people with a wide variety of skills, and we’re amazed at what creative people are doing with it. We never expected a cereal box to be used as a controller!”
LuxuryTec & N4D Bring 3D To Digital Signage
LuxuryTec, which operates The Mirror Image Digital Network, and Atlanta based N4D a provider of the stereoscopic 3D technology, have announced a partnership to provide auto stereoscopic (no glasses needed) 3D digital mirror signage across the USA in facilities including airports, major sporting venues and others.
LuxuryTec’s President, Brian Reid said, “Our strategic partnership brings a new dimension to advertising. Our captivating Mirror Image technology coupled with auto-stereoscopic 3-D will enable advertisers to literally reach out and engage every consumer.”
Clif Parker, N4D’s CEO, said, “N4D’s 20 years of perception research provides LuxuryTec with a definite edge. It also ensures that viewers of the 3D advertisements will enjoy the world’s most comfortable 3D experience.”
NY Times Launches Place-Based Network With RMG Networks
RMG Networks, Inc., (www.rmgnetworks.com), and The New York Times have launched “NYTimes.com Today,” a NYTimes.com content experience for readers on the move. This digital place-based network features the latest news, photos and videos from NYTimes.com.
The network is displayed on video screens in over 800 business district eateries in the New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco markets. RMG's existing digital place-based network (formerly known as 'Danoo') has been entirely re-envisioned to emulate the familiar, trusted design of NYTimes.com. Viewers can go to www.NYT2day.com on their mobile devices to receive a direct link to the NYTimes.com mobile site.
“This platform is a great opportunity to expose our brand to new audiences in a medium that is expanding,” said Murray Gaylord, VP Marketing, NYTimes.com. “This is also an innovative way to extend The Times’s brand to its large audience of business professionals in our key markets.”
JOLT ENERGY Runs Music Promotion
JOLT ENERGY wanted to gain attention in target markets through c-store display. A promotional program was developed that utilized the product’s “safety seal” to deliver the message, which was reinforced with clings and posters.
It was touted as the first under the cap promotion in the energy category. JOLT offered a free music download with every purchase (through partner Island Def Jam Records) with a chance to win a grand prize concert experience. The promotion achieved awareness at the point of sale, drove traffic to the website and created consumer interaction with the brand. This promotion was developed by Concept One Communications, Westport, CT; (Tel) 203-221-1118; www.conceptone.com.
Best Buy Conducts ‘Live’ Mobile Tour
Helios Interactive Technologies (www.heliosinteractive.com) has provided 3D augmented reality technology for the multi-city 2010 “Best Buy Live”" tour. The Best Buy Live trailer will introduce consumers to the retailer’s latest products, and offer them a chance to win prizes by participating in a game -- the first augmented reality installation ever to be used in a sweepstakes. Shadowing the NASCAR circuit, the trailer will also stop at air shows, fairs, festivals and other community events. The game offers participants a chance to win a Best Buy gift card by interacting with a 3D display that features the Best Buy Racing Team's #43 car, driven by A.J. Allmendinger.
A visitor approaching the display is given a free card and when held in front of the display, an image of the #43 car appears in the center of a screen, with logos from various Best Buy brands surrounding the car. The display lets the user know if he or she is a winner. Winners receive a $10 Best Buy gift card GMR Marketing (www.gmrmarketing.com), a leading experiential marketing agency, is managing the mobile tour.
Toyota Motion Simulator Offers Users An Immersive Experience
Digital Tech Frontier, (www.dtf.net), a leader in the custom development of virtual reality systems, has designed a custom virtual reality motion simulator for Toyota’s 4Runner. The Precision Motion Simulator™ is designed to allow participants to experience the unforgiving “off-road” experience of the Baja 1000.
The Baja 1000 simulator was fueled by Toyota's desire to demonstrate the impressive durability and performance of the new 4Runner. Toyota’s Precision Motion Simulator premiered at the Daytona 500 Toyota Pit Pass event. The new Toyota Precision Motion Simulator is currently making stops at 21 other races across the United States.
The three seat motion simulator presents the ultimate driver experience through the use of virtual reality, wide screen, personal, head-mounted display systems. This is the first sophisticated virtual reality motion system that physically moves and lifts the seat occupants horizontally and vertically with up to 2G’s of precise acceleration and torque to accurately simulate the Baja 1000.
Category: ermanent Displays
Display Producer: AMD Industries
4620 West 19th Street, Cicero, IL 60804
This fixture program for LG Electronics promotes its complete line of large Home Appliances. Shoppers are provided with multiple self-help interactive tools to evaluate products and compare features. The Discovery Zone inspires shoppers. This program is featured at select Sears stores and is constructed from a broad array of permanent display materials with integrated interactive technologies.
Category: Electronic Displays
Display Producer: Focus Display Group
10328 Highland West Drive, Escondido CA 92029
Focus Display Group offers this new 7" LCD embedded into a back lit snap lock frame. It is easy to change out graphics in the frame along with a coordinating video in LCD player. The unit has an embedded motion sensor and LED edge lite.
Category: Permanent Displays
Display Producer: Kosakura
2215 S. Standard Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92707
Kosakura created this Flip Video interactive end cap for Best Buy retail locations. One overall design had to be transformed to fit two different Best Buy retail layouts. The display incorporates interactive video and switching, security for Flip Video products that ties into Best Buy systems, and battery charging for Flip Video products.
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