While some consumers who visit department stores are shopping with a purpose, others are browsing casually, hoping that something catches their eye. If executed successfully, in-store signage and merchandise displays can help pique shopper interest, leading to increased engagement and overall sales.
Clarins Fragrance Group is luring shoppers with new virtual assistants designed to promote “Alien Eau Extraordinaire,” a new perfume from its Thierry Mugler brand. Clarins Fragrance Group unveiled full-height Virtual Assistants from Tensator in three flagship stores. A next-generation digital signage solution, the Virtual Assistant creates the illusion of a real person. Adorned in a shimmering dress and glowing outline, the goddess-like character creates a powerful and intriguing image for department store customers.
“The installations definitely caused a wow factor and the sites really drew a crowd,” said Vicky Barrett, Design and Merchandising Manager for Clarins Fragrance Group, in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. The Virtual Assistants are currently place in three stores throughout the UK: House of Fraser in Manchester; Selfridges Trafford Centre; and the Metro Centre in Newcastle.
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The overall design of the in-store displays is consistent with the character in television commercials promoting the perfume.
Standing six-feet high and arms outstretched, the full-sized Virtual Assistant was “very tricky” to execute, according to Ajay Joshi, Head of Media and Technology for Tensator. “We had to work quickly and efficiently to overcome the physical constraints and to explore the various technical solutions available to best fit the requirements. We are very pleased with the result. The virtual goddess has an amazing presence and aligns to the vision we all shared when we started the journey.”
The virtual goddess has helped create more compelling fragrance sites, leading to some “exciting ideas” from Clarins Fragrance Group, according to Barrett. “We hope to unveil the goddess again where and when we can to draw customer onto our promotional fragrance sites. It is vital for us to be creative innovators and as this was the first time a head-to-toe projection has been executed in retail design, I’m proud of the result we achieved.”
