French Connection’s done it. So too Armani Exchange. Local brand Jay Jays gave it a whirl in 2010. To what are we referring? The use of that awakening giant, 3D technology, within fashion marketing and visual merchandising.
The resurgence of those flimsy 3D glasses with their cellophane-like red and blue panes, along with all other things 3D, can be traced back to the release in 2009 of the cinematic blockbuster, Avatar. The animated film with the $237 million budget was released in both regular and 3D versions. In the two years that have passed since its premiere, not only have a slew of other films been released in 3D, enabling viewers to perceive greater ‘depth’ on screen, but 3D technology has also been popping up beyond the darkened cave that is the modern cinema. Fashion companies such as Armani, Oakley and Gucci, for example, have all released 3D glasses into their mainstream eyewear lines, with the glasses designed to be worn while watching 3D cinema or television. 3D televisions for the home are now available in Australia from brands including Panasonic, Sony, Samsung and LG. And marketers old and new have embraced 3D technology and its capacity to inject something ‘new’ into a campaign. In June 2010, for example, local media company Fairfax sent 3D versions of its NSW masthead, The Sydney Morning Herald, to 2000 advertisers with the accompanying tagline ‘Keeping up with innovation’.
Those in the local fashion space have noticed the evolution and jumped on the bandwagon, not only unveiling 3D marketing campaigns of their own via print and online but injecting 3D technology into bricks and mortar stores. Armani Exchange, for example, created a 3D campaign to promote its winter 2011 collection, with 3D still images and video debuting locally in February. Customers were encouraged to don the 3D glasses in store to take in the full effect of the campaign. Local licensee for Armani Exchange, Nigel Yeo of Club 21, says while the campaign was rolled out globally, it resonated with Australian audiences.
“What we found is it has grabbed attention from people walking past because they then start to ask, 'what is this?'” Yeo says. Elsewhere, French Connection installed hologram images in its front store windows with faces that blinked and moved as customers walked by. In the youth category, Australian brand Jay Jays handed out free 3D glasses in store in 2010, encouraging customers to log on to a microsite that showcased its apparel.
But the most innovative adopter of the 3D trend appears to be independent four-year-old Australian label, Ode to No One. For autumn/winter 2011, the label's designer Adi Setiadi incorporated a 3D print reminiscent of insect wings onto dresses and women’s separates. Guests at the collection launch were gifted 3D glasses to peer through so they could take in the full effect of the prints as well as their complimentary champagne. While such brands have demonstrated the capacity to incorporate 3D technology into stores, will the 3D trend last? Or is it just a passing fad? Andrew Whiteman from Panasonic Australia – which commenced selling 3D technology to consumers and businesses in January this year – thinks retailers should be aware that consumers are investing in 3D technology and are likely to expect their favourite stores to do the same. “It is really a question of where your imagination can take you,” Whiteman says of the possibilities of the technology. “There are currently plans among our customers to set up 3D theatrettes in hotels and pubs for special 3D screenings of sporting events, and there are also other less obvious applications where 3D can be a huge benefit, such as eye-catching in-store displays. This can really boost the retail environment and offer customers an exciting and dynamic shopping experience. Many venues [that] have installed Panasonic Commercial displays have told us the positive impact it has had for retaining existing and encouraging new customers in store.” Research by GFK Retail and Technology confirms consumers are embracing 3D technology, but at a slow rather than skyrocketing rate. 3D TV sales represented 4.4 per cent of all television sales in the year to March 2011, for example. And yet a look offshore points to increasing investment in 3D and its capabilities. Adidas, for example, used the 2011 National Retail Federal Expo in the US earlier this year to unveil an early version of its adiVerse Virtual Footwear Wall, developed in conjunction with Intel. The technology allows users to view up to 8000 Adidas shoe styles in 3D and is designed to provide a merchandising solution when retail space is restricted or expensive. Adidas hinted it is keen to trial the 3D technology in the UK prior to the 2012 Olympics. Perhaps its wise to hang on to those red and blue glasses for a while yet.
