FLYING SHOE STORE

TitleFLYING SHOE STORE
BrandCROCS
Product / ServiceNORLIN
CategoryA09. Launch or re-launch
EntrantENJIN Tokyo, JAPAN
Entrant Company ENJIN Tokyo, JAPAN
Advertising Agency ENJIN Tokyo, JAPAN
PR Agency 2 AUR Tokyo, JAPAN
Production Company BIRDMAN Tokyo, JAPAN
PR Agency AUR Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Name Company Position
Shiro Nomura ENJIN Inc. CREATIVE DIRECTOR+COMMUNICATION- DESIGNER+COPYWRITER
Maresuke Ishikawa ENJIN Inc. Producer+ACCOUNT PLANNER
Takayuki Nagai BIRDMAN Inc. CREATIVE DIRECTOR+ART DIRECTOR+MOVIE
Roy Ryo Tsukiji BIRDMAN Inc. CREATIVE DIRECTOR+TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Takeru Kobayashi BIRDMAN Inc. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR+DEVICE ENGINEER+PGR
Yohei Kajiwara BIRDMAN Inc. DEVICE ENGINEER/PGR
Ryotaro Nakano BIRDMAN Inc. Designer
Azusa Tanaka BIRDMAN Inc. Designer
Kanta Takeuchi BIRDMAN Inc. MOVIE
Kazuhiro Nii BIRDMAN Inc. WEB DIRECTOR
Tsuneharu Motoyoshi BIRDMAN Inc. SYSTEM ENGINEER
Takahisa Maeda BIRDMAN Inc. APP DEVELOPER
Keita Abe BIRDMAN Inc. WEB DEVELOPER
Shunji Kitamura AUR, Inc. PR Director
Mai Abe AUR, Inc. PR Director
Kento Osawa AUR, Inc. PUBLIC RELATIONS
Yurie Hiwatashi AUR, Inc. PUBLIC RELATIONS
Morrie Fujita crocs Japan GK BRAND MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR
Masaru Egashira crocs Japan GK BRAND MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR
Chihiro Saito crocs Japan GK BRAND MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR

The Campaign

<PROBLEM> “Norlin” are extremely lightweight town sneakers. However, the light weight feature can not be communicated and understood until they are actually taken in the hands. How can the “light weight” feature be communicated so that the sneakers will be picked up? <IDEA> FLYING SHOE STORE It’s a pop up store where the Drone delivers the sneakers to the customers as store clerk. The world’s first Flying Shoe Store was set up where an automatically controlled drone grasps the sneakers from a huge display stand and delivers them to the guests according to their requests. Trial and purchase at the site were also available. (Set up) Step 1: On the iPad installed in the store, a guest touches the color of sneakers that looks attractive. Step 2: Automatically controlled drone flies up and grasps the sneakers in the chosen color. Step 3: Drone delivers the sneakers to the guest. The intention was to maximize its lightweight feature as soon as they are taken in the hands. (Challenge) In order to actualize the world’s first “Flying Shoe Store”, drone with arms to grasp the sneakers (electromagnet type,) drone’s automatic control program and order system and the mid-air stand with 5m height, 10m width and 6m depth that can display 100 sneakers were all originally developed from scratch. In order to prioritize safety of use, experiment was conducted for 1 month building the same scale display inside a warehouse.

The Brief

A fact book was compiled with a detailed study, regarding use of drone in Japan. This was shared to those concerned among media editors and producers. It was communicated that drone is being utilized in both business and entertainment segments for various objectives and is a tool which has created impact to the society. It was penetrated to the media people that Year 2015 is the “Introduction year of Drone.” As a symbolic event, “The world’s first Flying Shoe Store” was introduced to the media, strategically creating a situation where media would want to come and cover the event.

Results

On Feb. 4, the test experiment set up in a warehouse was exposed to the media. 4 major TV stations in Japan came to report and aired the scene. Yomiuri Newspaper (9.1 million circulation) carried the subject as top article. It was also taken up as top article on Yahoo! news (monthly PV 10 billion) and over 200 media reported the activity. On Mar. 5, 2015 the opening day of “Flying Shoe Store”, 45 media gathered at the site and all major TV stations in Japan (NTV, TBS, Fuji TV, TV Asahi and TV Tokyo) aired the event (17 programs.) Asahi Newspaper (2.7 million circulation) carried this event as well as over 500 articles on other newspapers, magazines and the WEB site. The campaign had an earned media value over $13 million and there were 125 million PR impressions all with no media cost.

Execution

From Feb. 4, one month prior to the opening of the event, a WEB site was set up to demonstrate the drone grasping the shoes in a video image. Behind the scene story of developing the original drone was also shown. Furthermore, on Feb. 25, one week prior to the opening of “Flying Shoe Store”, video image of the test of automatically controlled drone at a warehouse was shown. During the 4 days from Mar. 5 to Mar. 8, 2015, the world’s first “Flying Shoe Store” was set up at Tokyo Midtown, one of the most exciting areas in Tokyo. Throughout the event period, images of the Flying Shoe Store was sent out live to the world on You Tube. After the termination of the event, video image covering the event and visitors’ expressions of “experience of lightweight with surprise” was shown.

The Situation

Research was conducted for 6 months from September to study the coverage of drone in Japan. In TV, increase in the report of drone became apparent from October. In a popular song program with viewing rate nearly 50%, automatically controlled drone was used to create a stage effect and became talked about. Utilization of drone in business industries such as security and delivery services became news. On Jan. 13, an article about setting up regulations of using drone was covered on the first page of Nikkei Newspaper, business oriented newspaper with largest circulation in Japan.

The Strategy

(Objective) This year is the 10th year since Crocs Japan was established in Japan. Sandals have become a popular, “everyone’s sandals”, since its release. Marking its 10th year, the objective was to increase awareness in the shoes category and revitalize the brand which have become more of a commodity item. (Strategy) When norlin is first taken in the hand, there is a striking impression with its lightness. After conducting research, insight obtained from the result was the feeling in people that, “although it is basic in design, it is extremely light and that gap is a surprise.” So it was decided that norlin’s unique point of sales is that product appeal and the conclusion was to provide a situation to maximize the experience of lightweight with a surprise.