To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its $200-million-per-year U.S. e-commerce business and the launch of its e-commerce site in the UK, Ralph Lauren is staging a “four-dimensional” light installation on Wednesday night at its flagship locations in New York and London.
Ralph Lauren has architecturally mapped the foundation and contours of its stores on Madison Avenue and New Bond Street, respectively, and will use light to make the buildings look as if they are being rotated, squeezed, disassembled block by block and so forth. From the spaces will emerge 3D replicas of some of the brand’s most iconic images — such as galloping polo players and four-story tall models walking invisible runways — and accessories, such as bags, belts and ties, from the current collection.
The so-called fourth dimension will be a series of additional sensory effects, including sound (music), touch (breezes) and smell (wafts of the brand’s fragrance collection), timed in sequence with the show.
It’s an impressive spectacle that should delight and engage audiences, and has already snagged the media’s attention. But it’s also an expensive one that, because of being staged on a local level, could potentially have limited reach.
When asked why the company had chosen to stage an on-site event rather than a big digital media spend, and how the event would translate into sales, Senior Vice President of Advertising, Marketing and Corporate Communications David Lauren explained that the event was all about building mainstream awareness for the company.
“We want to make sure we are seen at the cutting-edge of technology and trends [by everyone],” he said. The company also plans to post video footage of the show on its website and mobile applications, hoping the event’s novelty factor will make it “go viral.”
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