Riding the New York subway just got more beautiful thanks to L'Oréal Paris. The global beauty brand is making history by unveiling an intelligent vending experience in the New York subway system. Launching November 4, 2013, the L'Oréal 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'Oréal 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'Oréal Paris Intelligent Color Experience is part of a partnership with R/GA and CBS Outdoor. L'Oéeal Paris was chosen as the inaugural brand to participate in the two-month program.
"We are proud to continue L'Oréal 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'Oréal 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'Oréal 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 e-tailing," 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."
When a woman approaches the L'Oréal 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'Oréal 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'Oréal 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."
To help officially unveil the machine, model and New York "it girl" Coco Rocha joined L'Oréal Paris for a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony. Known for her bold, trendsetting beauty looks, Rocha 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 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 and Twitter (@LOrealParisUSA) for exclusive beauty tips and trends.
The L'Oréal 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'Oréal 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 retailers.
The L'Oréal 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 42nd Street. It will be open weekdays from 7 am–9 pm and on weekends from 10 am–8 pm, with limited hours on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day.
