New Yorkers are about to stop in their tracks. Riding the subway just got more beautiful thanks to L'Oreal Paris. The leading global beauty brand is making history by unveiling the first-ever, intelligent vending experience in the New York City Subway system. Launching Monday, November 4, 2013, the breakthrough L'Oreal Paris Intelligent Color Experience works as a three-step process. It first detects the colors in a woman's outfit and picks out the most prominent and related color palettes, then recommends L'Oreal Paris products to match and lastly allows women to quickly and easily purchase those products on the spot.
Stationed within the Bryant Park subway station and developed by digital agency R/GA, the L'Oreal Paris Intelligent Color Experience is part of a partnership with R/GA and CBS Outdoor. L'Oreal Paris was chosen as the inaugural brand to participate in the two-month program.
"We are proud to continue L'Oreal Paris' digital leadership by being the first brand to bring women a highly customized and convenient way to shop beauty in a place they would least expect it - the New York City subway," says Marc Speichert, Chief Marketing Officer of L'Oreal USA. "It marks the latest 'stop' in our unparalleled quest to combine the latest in technology with the highest in quality to help every woman embrace her unique beauty."
"The MTA is very pleased to see a brand, like L'Oreal Paris out in front of the emerging virtual shopping trends that promises to blur the lines between traditional outdoor advertising, traditional bricks and mortar retail and etailing," said Jeffrey Rosen, MTA Director of Real Estate. "The MTA and our advertising contractor, CBS Outdoor, will be watching this program closely to see if it can be replicated and scaled up within the MTA network. As the advertising industry continues to test and demonstrate new ways to reach consumers in high traffic environments, we're happy to facilitate such experimentation within our system."
FROM STEPPING UP TO STANDING OUT: HOW IT WORKS
When a woman approaches the L'Oreal Paris Intelligent Color Experience, she sees her reflection in a full-length, well-lit mirror. She is then immersed in a world of color. Digital animations that represent her silhouette and the colors she is wearing appear alongside her reflection and suggest expertly-coordinated eye, lip and nail shade recommendations that "Match" or "Clash" her outfit. Women can experiment with a variety of personalized looks from L'Oreal Paris' best-selling Colour Riche franchise, beloved for its luxurious formulas and rich shades. From the time the mirror scans a woman's look to when the products are in her purse, the entire experience takes less than two minutes.
"R/GA's deep understanding of customer behavior, technology and innovation uniquely enabled us to design the right experience for L'Oreal Paris in the Bryant Park Station," says Erin Lynch, R/GA Group Executive Creative Director. "It's an unexpectedly immersive, playful experience designed to make her day more beautiful. "
THE BIG APPLE AND BEYOND
To help officially unveil the machine, model and New York City "it girl" Coco Rocha joined L'Oreal Paris for a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony. Known for her bold, trend-setting beauty looks, she is encouraging women to stop by the machine and experiment with color for themselves - whether looking for a quick touch-up on the way to work or a wanting a whole new look before a night out.
Women in New York City and even those who are not can participate in this first-of-its-kind program. There are several ways to take part including:
-- Stopping by the Bryant Park Station to discover the perfect palette and
shop for a bold look
-- Using #BringYourBold to share the experience and beauty look created
from the purchased products
-- Visiting www.lorealparisusa.com/bringyourbold to see top bloggers'
recommendations on how to wear the featured products. Women can then
explore and purchase the products for themselves.
-- Connecting with the brand on Instagram (@lorealparisusa), Facebook
(facebook.com/lorealparis) and Twitter (@LOrealParisUSA) for exclusive
beauty tips and trends
THE COLORFUL DETAILS
The L'Oreal Paris Intelligent Color Experience is open November 4, 2013 through December 30, 2013, helping women look and feel beautiful on-the-go throughout the holiday season. Eye, nail and lip products from L'Oreal Paris' Colour Riche franchise will all be available for purchase along with the brand's newest mascara innovation, Voluminous Butterfly. Women will have the option to purchase just one or the multiple products recommended to them. Prices will be in line with other New York City retailers.
The L'Oreal Paris Intelligent Color Experience is located in the MTA Bryant Park subway station and can be accessed from the entrance on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 42(nd) Street. It will be open weekdays from 7:00AM - 9:00PM and on weekends from 10:00AM - 8:00PM, with limited hours on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day.
