Apple commissions manmade floral art to promote Apple Watch at London's Selfridges
A new marketing installation commissioned by Apple is filling all 24 windows of London's Selfridges department store with manmade flowers, each matched to the faces of the Apple Watch.
The flowers measure anywhere from several inches to several feet in height, and were hand-sculpted and painted by artists, according to design magazine Wallpaper. As source imagery a group of blooming flowers were photographed over many hours using stop-motion techniques.
Larger flowers were made out of cast resin, while smaller ones were created using 3D printing.
A different configuration of Apple Watch sits at the center of each window, with its wallpaper set to match the flowers behind it. All three Watch lines are represented.
Selfridges has featured elaborate windows displays since 1909, but Apple is reportedly the first company to have a single product take over every window. It has also had two previous Watch installations at the store, "Butterflies" and "Chromosphere."
Selfridges was one of a few retail locations to host the Apple Watch when it launched in late April, joined only by a handful of luxury vendors scattered around the world. Even Apple's own retail stores didn't carry the product until June, forcing most shoppers to buy online.
The flowers measure anywhere from several inches to several feet in height, and were hand-sculpted and painted by artists, according to design magazine Wallpaper. As source imagery a group of blooming flowers were photographed over many hours using stop-motion techniques.
Larger flowers were made out of cast resin, while smaller ones were created using 3D printing.
A different configuration of Apple Watch sits at the center of each window, with its wallpaper set to match the flowers behind it. All three Watch lines are represented.
Selfridges has featured elaborate windows displays since 1909, but Apple is reportedly the first company to have a single product take over every window. It has also had two previous Watch installations at the store, "Butterflies" and "Chromosphere."
Selfridges was one of a few retail locations to host the Apple Watch when it launched in late April, joined only by a handful of luxury vendors scattered around the world. Even Apple's own retail stores didn't carry the product until June, forcing most shoppers to buy online.
Comments
More images http://www.wallpaper.com/design/in-bloom-apple-stages-a-floral-takeover-of-selfridges-windows/9480#126236
That's pretty classy! Those are very large windows.
More images http://www.wallpaper.com/design/in-bloom-apple-stages-a-floral-takeover-of-selfridges-windows/9480#126236
Thank you. The article image is terrible. Your link helps.
1) They are, even the one where they literally think outside the box to create a three-dimensional effect (below), which can very easily come across as gaudy or just outright fail. The image below appeared as a thumbnail when I posted it in Slack, but it's coming up on the Wallpaper site. The article says Apple took over all 24 windows but it doesn't look like they have covered all of them in the images no matter how you define window.
2) I question how well the cost for these creative and beautiful displays will result in new Apple Watch sales. Anyone have any insights into this kind of marketing with CE?
Most likely this will really work. Selfridges was founded by an American who had amazing ideas and which he transferred to London which finally captured the hearts of Londoners. Jeremy Piven now stars on American TV sets (and in DVDs) and gives us American entrepreneurs ideas of how to honestly capture the hearts and minds of shoppers by making it clear it IS about the customer as Apple knows.
This is more about creating a lasting impression in the minds of people who walk past the window. The trick is not the watch ( which doesn't feature very prominently), but the large display of flowers. The flowers are beautiful. You remember the flowers, and your brain triggers an association with the watch.
Apple's marketing is alway tightly focussed on the product and what they want you to associate with the product.
Even the PC guy ads worked in the same way. Did you want to identify with the stuffed suit or the hipster kid?
It's all about association: sound and imagery is how you win people over. Product specs are heard and immediately forgotten. Rubbishing your competitors just creates an association that you have something to hide, which in turn is associated with the competitor you have just rubbished. This is why Apple's "If it's not an iPhone …" is very clever. They associate "There's only one iPhone" with a notion of being the only phone worth having, then reinforce the notion by not mentioning the competition.
So to answer your question: no.
No one is going to look at that display and run into Selfridges to buy an Apple Watch.
But that was never the intention.
This is more about creating a lasting impression in the minds of people who walk past the window. The trick is not the watch ( which doesn't feature very prominently), but the large display of flowers. The flowers are beautiful. You remember the flowers, and your brain triggers an association with the watch.
Apple's marketing is alway tightly focussed on the product and what they want you to associate with the product.
Even the PC guy ads worked in the same way. Did you want to identify with the stuffed suit or the hipster kid?
It's all about association: sound and imagery is how you win people over. Product specs are heard and immediately forgotten. Rubbishing your competitors just creates an association that you have something to hide, which in turn is associated with the competitor you have just rubbished. This is why Apple's "If it's not an iPhone …" is very clever. They associate "There's only one iPhone" with a notion of being the only phone worth having, then reinforce the notion by not mentioning the competition.
So to answer your question: no.
No one is going to look at that display and run into Selfridges to buy an Apple Watch.
But that was never the intention.
I thin the first association is adding to the existing Apple as creative and upmarket association with the watch being there for the ride. Apple is always working the brand/ecosystem in all they do. That's what all the top brands want. Apple doesn't really care if you buy the watch, but want you to know it's a newcomer to their branded portfolio of high end products.
Your answer, in essence, is that Apple in it for the long game...
(While Samsung is in it for the current quarter results...)
I'll bet that Angela Ahrendts had a lot to do with making this possible.
Paul Deneve was quoted in the Wallpaper story so he probably was involved. He's listed on Apple's website as VP of "special projects". I'm guessing these are the type of special projects he's working on.