THE UNCLOSABLE STORE

Short List
TitleTHE UNCLOSABLE STORE
BrandSAMSUNG
Product / ServiceSAMSUNG
CategoryB02. Use of Ambient Media: Large Scale
EntrantCHE PROXIMITY Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Idea Creation CHE PROXIMITY Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Media Placement CHEP MEDIA Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Production VANDAL Sydney, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Gavin McLeod CHEP Network Chief Creative Officer
Justin Ruben CHEP Network Executive Creative Director
Richard Shaw CHEP Network Creative Director
Jeremy Hogg CHEP Network Creative Director
Will Winter-Irving CHEP Network Senior Art Director
Joe Ranallo CHEP Network Senior Copywriter
Tash Johnson CHEP Network Head of CHEP Films
Bella Jarman CHEP Network Producer
Jonny Berger CHEP Network Managing Partner
Grace Vizor CHEP Network Group Account Director
Lucy Jones CHEP Network Senior Account Director
Raisa Mushrafi CHEP Network Senior Account Manager
Joe Tran CHEP Network Senior Digital Designer
Kenn Huang CHEP Network Senior Designer
Joe Greathead CHEP Network Writer
Mary Anne Truong CHEP Network Operations Director
Cleo De Kerorguen CHEP Network Operations Manager
Cameron Dowsett CHEP Network Creative director
Mark Tallis CHEP Network Creative Director

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

We turned our under-renovation store into an opportunity to launch a completely unique brand experience. With 100s of QR codes covering the wall, each one was a new way for customers to engage with our brand in a way they never could if the store was open. From augmented reality product demos, to prizes, to exclusive experiences, each one delivered on our ‘Expand Your World’ brand promise. We didn’t want to lose footfall to the Apple store, so we launched an activation that not only drew people in, but kept them there.

Background

In November of 2021, Samsung were completing renovations to their Sydney, Parramatta Experience store, it was going to be better than ever once complete. Trouble was, they were closing down right Sydney was opening back up. And with our flagship store out of action, our number one objective was to grab people’s attention, and steal footfall from our biggest competitor. The brief therefore was to prime Parramatta shoppers to notice the store while it was being renovated, give them a way to engage with Samsung, and be aware of the reopening date.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We turned the cladding outside our store into an interactive experience, giving people a way to interact with our brand and products in the absence of a store. A 15m2 mosaic wall made out of hundreds of completely unique QR codes had people glued to the wall, scanning them to unlock games, fashion, music and prizes. Not only that, but they also unlocked augmented reality product demos and walkthroughs, as well as software that turned iOS devices into the Samsung OS for them to trial.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Samsung stores are the best place to experience the Galaxy devices; the full range and expert guidance. While we knew that clever geolocation targeting around Parramatta would engage our current owners, our real opportunity for growth was to spark the interests of other brand owners, namely those with an iPhone. Of the switchers we had persuaded over to Samsung in the past, it was driven by their explorer mindset, with the biggest driver being the desire to ‘try something new’. So rather than telling them about the reopening and hoping a specific device would appeal, we needed to give them an experience of what a Samsung device could offer; a world of experiences that previously went unexplored. But the question intrigued us...why wait until reopening to drive people to the store to explore Galaxy when we had 15m2 of otherwise unused hoarding.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

For a month long period before our stores reopening, we covered the entire wall in a mosaic made up of 100s of QR codes that formed the words ‘Expand Your World’ At a single location in Parramatta, people could come up and scan the wall, with each code unlocking something completely different. The wall itself was in a prominent position and drew a lot of attention, but it was also promoted through in-mall OOH panels, and through our social channels.

List the results (30% of vote)

The wall was a huge success. We had 279% more engagement with the wall than we had footfall to our store before it went under renovation. The wall was scanned a total of 11,498 times. Every prize hidden on the wall was found. (with a few failed attempts to hack our servers to steal them). Most importantly, 57% of people who engaged with the wall were on an iOS device, proving you don’t even need to be open to steal foot traffic from your biggest competitor.