Quiksilver, Inc. Brings Boardriding Culture to Times Square
Quiksilver, Inc.has opened a flagship store in New York City’s Times Square. This latest Quiksilver Boardriders Club features 3,300 sq. ft. of retail space with a 20-foot “wave wall” of video screens showing high-impact surfing, skating and snowboarding images, conveying the passion and adventure of Quiksilver’s boardriding lifestyle. With a storefront that features illuminated signage and the 63-screen plasma video wall, plus a gaming kiosk to play video games, the store is uniquely designed to create an adventure. The Times Square store includes a comprehensive product mix of clothing and accessories from the Quiksilver Young Mens, Quiksilver Boys, Quiksilveredition, Roxy and Raisins lines.
“Times Square is a place where tourists and New York City locals alike flock to experience the latest trends and fashions from around the globe -- making it one of the world’s preeminent retail locations,” said Bob McKnight, CEO of Quiksilver, Inc.
The Times Square Boardriders Club embodies a combination of contemporary and vintage designs, while projecting a uniquely modern beach feel. Under a canopy of 60 suspended surfboards, the wave wall dramatizes original, high-end video effects and engulfs customers in the action, and thrill of boardriding.
7-Eleven & Chevron Test Co-Branding
7-Eleven, Inc. is testing a co-branding program with Chevron U.S.A., Inc. The companies have selected 20 7-Eleven and Chevron locations in Florida, Texas, and California to feature both brands. Plans call for 11 7-Eleven stores to offer Chevron-branded gasoline and nine Chevron sites to convert their convenience-store format to 7-Eleven.
Volkswagen’s New Beetle & Apple’s iPod Unite To Offer On-Road Music
Volkswagen of America and Apple Computers are joining forces to provide 2003 New Beetle sedan buyers with a complimentary Apple iPod digital music player.
The initiative, dubbed “Pods Unite,” will be featured prominently in media advertising. Sleek iPod displays will also adorn Volkswagen dealer showrooms.
Apple’s iPod digital music player possesses a 15-gigabyte hard drive with storage space for more than 3,700 songs. Volkswagen’s iPod connectivity kit completes the pairing, with the ability to create and remotely access a road-ready digital music library.
“The union of the iPod and the Beetle represents one of the most stylish ways to take your entire music collection with you on the road,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s V.P.of Hardware Product Marketing.
“Apple’s audience is a lot like our audience,” said Karen Marderosian, Volkswagen Marketing Director. “A group that embraces something different, simple and unconventional. We think this initiative represents a natural alliance of two like-minded brands.”
McDonald’s Announces “Step with It!”
McDonald’s has announced a program designed to encourage families to incorporate physical fitness into their daily lives. The program, “Step With It!,” features “stepometers,” small pedometers that track the number of steps taken in a typical day and encourages participants to increase their daily walking to maintain good health. “Step With It!” also includes educational guidelines and suggestions on how to increase physical activity.
This initiative expands upon Coca-Cola’s successful program for middle school children. Now, through the participation of McDonald’s restaurants around the world, “Step With It!” will be expanded to reach millions of consumers, young and old. The Step With It! program is part of McDonald's recently announced "Healthy Lifestyles" activities designed to help people lead balanced and healthy lifestyles through informed menu choice and variety, and through education and the promotion of physical activity.
“McDonald’s serves more than 46 million customers each day worldwide,” said Ken Barun, McDonald’s V.P. who leads McDonald's “Healthy Lifestyles” activities. “This reach provides a strong opportunity to help educate people about the important role physical activity plays in their overall health.”
Cold Stone Creamery Opens Times Square Store
Cold Stone Creamery has opened its largest store to date in New York City’s Times Square.
The Creamery will feature six custom gheas (cooler displays of ice cream, yogurt and Italian sorbet). Four signature granite “stones” will be featured for crew members to personalize each ice cream Creation. Mounted above the store’s 5’ x 20’ outdoor marquee sign is a 5’ tall rotating medallion. The marquee sign is flanked by the company’s 10’ tall I-cones, each housing over 150 lights.
“The Times Square store marks an important phase in Cold Stone Creamery’s aggressive growth strategy,” said David Andow, Exec. V.P., Franchise Development. Cold Stone Creamery plans to open more than 300 stores in 2003, and will operate more than 1,000 stores in the U.S. by 2004.
Ethan Allen Offers New Approach To Kids Furniture
Ethan Allen Interiors has announced a new approach to furnishing kids rooms. Freestanding Ethan Allen Kids stores will be opened, and there is also a new store within a store concept.
“Over the past several years we have reinvented the way we market our products to consumers by offering them a desired lifestyle instead of just product. We are now expanding this concept to reach kids,” said Farooq Kathwari, CEO, Ethan Allen Interiors.
Ethan Allen’s Contempo Kids has been designed with high-tech styling. Classic Kids offers relaxed, back-to-basics, simplicity. The new Kids collection is offered with coordinated upholstery, functional accents, and decorative accessories.
Ultimate Electronics Debuts Hard Rock Sound Asylum
Ultimate Electronics has launched the Hard Rock Sound Asylum theme room, which will allow customers to experience the home theater systems available from Klipsch Audio Technologies. As customers walk into the Hard Rock Sound Asylum room, a touch screen will engage the lighting and audio-visual systems for product demonstrations. The rooms feature signature memorabilia from Hard Rock Cafes around the world.
Dave Workman, COO, Ultimate Electronics, said, “The partnership with Hard Rock and Klipsch enables us to leverage our brands and combine entertainment and fun.” Workman. added, “The program differentiates Ultimate Electronics and more importantly, connects customers with music.”
Tower Records Launches Emerging Artist Program
Tower Records has launched an emerging artist marketing program geared to introducing less well known, but emerging artists at a price point of $9.99 or less per CD.
Each month Tower will give customers insight into up and coming artists by selecting four to be featured in the emerging artist marketing program. Each band’s CD will be showcased in a dedicated chain wide listening station featuring bio and buzz on the band, as well as in a dedicated front end rack. Tower wants to provide customers with the best selection of emerging artists in an easy to find rack and at a price point that is also easy on the pocket.
Tower Records V.P., Marketing, Russ Eisenman, said, “This is what the shopping experience is all about at Tower: expertise, selection and passion.”
Mall Of America Features The Dew Den, Powered by Xbox Live
Mall Of America Features The Dew Den, Powered by Xbox Live
The Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN, has set up a “Dew Den,” sponsored by Mountain Dew, and Xbox for hardcore gamers. The “Dew Den” lets mall visitors play Xbox Live games, try out the Xbox Music Mixer, compete in tournaments and get on G4TV!, a TV network devoted to the video gamers’ lifestyle.
The Dew Den features plasma displays running extreme sports videos, and gaming stations hooked up with players across the country. There are expert gamers to provide gaming tips, and guest appearances by local celebrities, athletes, and musicians.
Limited Too & Mattel Run Joint Marketing Program
Limited Too and Mattel have joined together in an apparel licensing deal to create a trend-setting collection of fall fashions and accessories for tweens and teens. The collection, called ‘My Scene by Limited Too,’ combines Limited Too’s fashion expertise with My Scene, Mattel’s new lifestyle brand for the tween girl.
“This partnership complements Mattel’s extension strategy to align with other ‘best in class’ companies to attract new audiences,” said Richard Dickson,Sr. V.P., Mattel Brands Consumer Products. “As we grow My Scene it makes perfect sense to partner with the industry’s number-one specialty apparel destination for tween girls.”
The collection appearing in all Limited Too stores includes T-shirts and coordinates including corduroy and denim skirts and tops, embroidered tops, velour fabrics, and cargo pants.
James Shimizu,V.P., Marketing Promotions & Events, Limited Too. said, “The synergy of two of the best girl brands in the world is a winning combination for ‘tweens everywhere.”
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