Equinox + The Happy New You Campaign by Harrods
Transforming static in-store advertising to improve audience awareness, engagement and sales
Role: Motion Graphics Designer + Video Editor
Responsibilities: Pitch and repurpose branded Equinox media for digital in-store advertising. Further develop & propel the luxury fitness theme from Equinox with motion graphics to improve consumer engagement and to drive brand visibility in store.
Platforms: In-store digital media network
Software: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Media Encoder
Experience Harrods
As the world’s most famous department store and known for its unrivaled range of luxury products and myriad of departments, one of Harrods’ most renowned attributes is its unparalleled service and shopping experience. This goes beyond the shop floor to the creative service from the Harrods Media team. As part of the in-house creative production team, I collaboratively assisted clients in harnessing Harrods' dynamic media portfolio to drive brand visibility in store and ultimately retail sales. From in-store digital video and print screen networks, to the Harrods App, our mission was to always help brands push the boundaries with digital innovation for a more complete retail campaign and customer experience.
Transforming the static digital retail experience
Stunning beauty, glamorous high fashion and high-end yet static imagery can be found throughout in-store luxury & beauty retailers. The 2016 Happy New You wellness campaign by Harrods deserved to be pushed creatively with participating brands. Equinox, a high-end performance and luxury fitness lifestyle club, partnered with Harrods to deliver a variety of on-site group classes. From boxing to yoga with personal trainers from Equinox's High Street Kensington location, shoppers at Harrods were treated to a variety of group activities while being surrounded by men's and women's activewear brands on the fifth floor. Promoting the brand was vital to improve the awareness of Equinox's presence in-store with our culturally diverse audience.
The Space
The high resolution media from Equinox was used to promote the brand on the in-store digital screen at door 10 on the fifth floor of Harrods. The complete digital screen measured 3840 x 2160 pixels. This provided enough digital real estate to captivate shoppers with the glossy, incredibly well composed, and fitness driven brand media (see images above as well).
The Execution
Two points must be noted. The details matter. Preserving the integrity of the creativity from the brand matters even more. After deconstructing the image by isolating both models with their joints, the lighting and walls, I set the task of subtly animating the static image. To preserve the visual aesthetic, I avoided excessive physical expressions. Animating the woman helping the male athlete finish the movement with the kettlebell achieved the required illusion of motion. In addition, writing a line of code to have the light flicker helped the image come alive. Continuing into the second image, a subtle yet effective lens flare breathes life into the brand media.
Improving in-store advertising
The creative matters. Niche or globally recognized brands will always command a presence. However, when consumers start to unconsciously tune out advertising due to their repetitive nature, new and dynamic initiatives must be tested. Proactively initiating the improvement of brand media should come with respecting their creativity and brand guidelines. Why carefully pitch creative enhancements to provided media? Not only do I pride myself on providing a superior service to clients to drive their brand visibility in-store to enhance sales, but also to elevate the in-house effort to assist high fashion, beauty and luxury goods brands to push the boundaries with digital innovation with Harrods' dynamic media portfolio.