It goes without saying that art fusion collaborations can take many forms. We’ve seen many grace the market as a new product, a new service, a special event, an in-store installation and as a graffiti application, to name a few of the more popular forms. Some run independently, but it’s worth noting that many of the most successful are a combination of two or more.
Savvy brand managers and artists alike know that the launch of a new product collaboration can be profoundly enhanced by a complementary in-store installation, multiplying the effects of the new product, and magnifying the retail experience at large. Art fusion collaborations that are thoughtfully layered, taking place on a few strategic levels are not surprisingly quite effective, or in other words, sought after and talked about.
The National Football League (NFL), Bloomingdales and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) undoubtedly knew this when they teamed up with a group of top designers to forge 48 bespoke football helmets in support of the NFL Foundation and team charities. The resulting art fusion collaboration of customized football helmets was indeed a multi-sensual, multi-faceted, multi-platform extravaganza. The helmets were designed by well-known designers like Helmut Lang, as well as up-and-comers like Monique Lhuillier for the event’s auction. The 48 haute couture helmets were then displayed in Bloomingdales 59th street store windows in New York and promoted nationally across all marketing channels of Bloomingdales, CDFA and NFL.
The bottom line? Art-fusion collaborations are the most successful when everyone is winning. The 48 haute couture helmets were an example of just that – art fusion pushing boundaries by simply employing artfulness and using all avenues available to promote the result. From this art fusion collaboration, everyone walked away a winner: Bloomingdales – engendering goodwill and fashion cred from its association with the inspiring event, the NHL Foundation – with the record-setting funds raised, the CDFA – getting exposure for its most talented designers, and of course the art lovers who bid and rightfully felt good about making a contribution towards something that’s not only desirable, but meaningful.
Recognizing art fusion as multi-dimensional collaborative opportunity that can lead to something potentially much larger than the sum of its parts can be the first step of challenging the status quo and bringing the freshness and innovation consumers are constantly searching for.
Stay tuned for our next post where we examine the strategy behind high-brow brands using low-brow in-store installations.