The bubbles were flowing after we won a five way pitch to deliver a new retail experience for O2 , the leading provider of mobile services in UK, Germany and Ireland.
However, they were confined to plasma screens, a major feature of the design scheme we produced for O2 stores throughout the UK.
The High St is all about sales but in this case, it was also about brand: O2 wanted to make a distinctive statement and create differentiation at a time of intensifying competition by positioning their stores as the place to go for good advice and great deals.
It was vital to establish visual standout and attract attention through our exterior approach. Inside, we looked to follow through with content to engage people, hold their interest and support every step of the sales process.
Pure logic dictated a zoning approach for a customer journey from the front of the store through islands of product displays to the rear, which became a dedicated ‘Chill Zone'.
We removed all the promotional posters from the front of the stores and replaced them with large screens carrying video and motion graphics of bubbles, derived from the O2 brand identity. Having an eye catching, moving frontage made the store feel far more dynamic and implied there was something interesting to explore inside.
These front screens also feature text that can be updated, allowing each O2 store to impart its own localised messaging, rather than bland, generic communication.
The Chill Zone at the rear was created to encourage customers to relax and take in the atmosphere. It features plasma screens which are companions to those at the front of the store, in terms of colour and movement.
However, these screens are also interactive. In their passive state, they carry a gentle looping animation. If passers by happen to activate a motion sensor, bubble animations, complete with soundscapes, spring to life and brief text (almost digital poetry) appears.
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