Bloomingdale’s connects with NBC in augmented reality, in-store campaign

Consumers can pose with characters from NBC's The Playboy Club

Luxury department store chain Bloomingdale’s is partnering with the television network NBC aiming to draw consumers in-store with an augmented reality mobile application.

The Goldrun app uses augmented reality to place virtual goods in real-world locations using augmented reality. Bloomingdale’s customers can pose with characters from NBC’s Fall lineup using the app and share the pictures via social media.

“Bloomingdale’s is pushing consumers into a new kind of experience,” said Vivian Rosenthal, founder/CEO of Goldrun, New York.

“Brands are really craving an interactive one-on-one opportunity with consumers, which they are not really getting,” she said. “This turns shopping into a destination and our platform is about having these very personal experiences with the brand.”

NBC and Bloomingdale’s are the launching partners of the Goldrun app.

Bunny hopping
The “Look the Part, Be the Part” campaign, launching tonight during Fashion’s Night Out, allows shoppers at 44 Bloomingdale’s locations to pose with virtual characters from shows including “The Playboy Club,” “Whitney,” “Free Agents,” “Prime Suspect” and “Up All Night.”

Posing with members from NBC’s The Playboy Club

In addition to bringing consumers in-store to buy Bloomingdale’s products, consumers will also have a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles for a set visit at one of the shows and a grand-prize trip to Chicago for a walk-on role in “The Playboy Club.”

Consumers can download the Goldrun app for free on their iPhones or have their pictures taken by Bloomingdale’s employees using iPads.

There are also daily drawings for $100 Bloomingdale’s gift cards.

“Goldrun is acting as a pioneer in the mobile space for advertising and branded campaigns,” Ms. Rosenthal said.

“Our platform is about creating digitally-driven experiences that offer interactivity with the brand and allow consumers to share with their friends,” she said.

Although Bloomingdale’s main objective was to get consumers in-store, the augmented reality feature can provide many opportunities for luxury marketers, per Ms. Rosenthal.

Augmented reality characters in Bloomingdale’s

Mobile maven
The social media feature is large part of the campaign.

The augmented reality pictures can be uploaded and shared on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Tumblr and through email and SMS.

“This puts Bloomingdale’s front and center as a brand that does innovative work,” Ms. Rosenthal said.

“So many retail stores are finding ways to get consumers,” she said. “But what this does is build a divide between the online and the offline world.”

Bloomingdale’s has been proving itself as a trail blazer in the mobile space, and especially when integrating it with other channels.

For instance, the retailer mixes mobile with out of home, print and direct mail pieces.

“This is going to change how people shop,” Ms. Rosenthal said. “Luxury brands are creating a more personal, tailored experience and one of the things that the app has the ability to do that.

“Luxury brands need to find a new way to get in touch with a consumer when they’re not in a store or on a Web site,” she said. “It’s a curated experience that gives users something and lets them know the brand is doing something that’s very different from anything else out there.”

Final Take
Rachel Lamb, associate reporter on Luxury Daily, New York

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Tags: Bloomingdales, Goldrun, luxury, luxury marketing, mobile, mobile marketing, NBC, Vivan Rosenthal