PUT ON YOUR RED SHOES AND DANCE THE BLUES
To celebrate David Bowie’s 75th anniversary, Factory 360 X David Bowie Estate launched an experiential retail space in London and NYC to showcase the impact of Bowie’s artistry on culture. Built at iconic locations dear to Bowie, the spaces embodied the man just as much as his music, each highlighting his revolutionary contributions to technology and art as well as his boundary-pushing attitude towards gender and fashion.
From limited-edition product launches to spatial audio, creative-tech integrated touch points, special appearance and premiers, this was much more than a store, but a place to connect the world with a legacy.
I’LL BE A ROCK ‘N’ ROLLIN BITCH FOR YOU
It all began with a text from F360 creative director Zoe Ganch: “You’re a big Bowie fan, right?”
A week later, I led the pitch to David Bowie’s Estate. The ideas channeled Bowie’s spirit; innovative, theatrical and a touch bizarre.
While this was a career-high moment for me, what made it memorable was the client’s emotional reaction to the work; a true embodiment of both the man and the legend.
RFP won, the incredible F360 team set to work. Rather than choosing an overall concept, insights and executions were plucked from the original deck to bring this experience to life.
THE SUN MACHINE IS COMING DOWN AND WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY
Most retail pop ups show up in similar, expected ways that are focused on pushing product without providing much added value to visitors.
To differentiate ourselves, we embodied the Bowie state of mind—the weird and glittery, theatrical and elegant, joy and curiosity— and combined it with creative technology, gamification and a bold environmental design. By balancing retail merchandise with interactivity, it created an exploratory experiences with something to look at, pick up or engage with in every corner and nook.
Interactions:
Mimic Bowie’s low-fi, high-impact “cut up” technique to write song.s
Rediscovered his music in Sony’s 360 Reality Audio Booth overseen by Bowie’s longtime producer Tony Visconti.
Custom built, working red K2 phone box from Ziggy Stardust album cover. By dialing a number, fans heard archival audio recordings of Bowie’s thoughts on music, life and style.
Left emotional “thank you” messages via “Ground Control To Major Tom” to be sent to Bowie in the stars. The were combined into an animation fans could view at both locations and online.
Test knowledge on trivia plaques placed through the space. A QR code linked to the microsite revealed multiple choice answers, the correct answer unlocked exclusive Instagram AR filters.
Selfie Ops:
“Be A Bowie” mirror series where fans stepped into costumes and personas.
Recreation of BBC radio booth for Bowie’s 1979 DJ Set.
Not only was it a dynamic space for fan engagement, but was also built to host a series of ancillary events along the 3 month run.
A few programming highlights:
Donny McCaslin, David's collaborator on his final album, ★
Chris Duffy, of the Duffy Archive, whose father shot the Aladdin Sane album cover
Mark Plati, the bandleader and co-producer of the "lost" David album, Toy
I’M FLOATING IN THE MOST PECULIAR WAY
LET’S DANCE!
Client: David Bowie Estate
Factory 360: Experiential Agency
Founding Partner: Gaby Neves
Creative Director: Zoe Ganch
Art Director: Hianne Lee
Strategy: Jake McIntyre
Visual Merchandising: Rachel Khan
Event Producer: Lucy Hall
Xquisite Productions: Production Agency
Awards:
