New York’s Show+Tell Creates For New M&M Store’s Digital Displays In Shanghai
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
New York-based environmental design firm Show+Tell recently continued its long-running creative relationship with iconic candy maker M&M’s by conceiving and creating a spectacular digital in-store experience at the company’s new store in Shanghai, China.
“We started working with M&M’s in 2005 for its New York Times Square store, adding digital signage, gradually improving the in-store signage and handling the outdoor signage as well,” says Phil Lenger, founder and president, Show+Tell.
“Then we were asked to do the M&M London store. In each case, the familiar little M&M characters blend into the culture and environment. For instance, in the digital signage content in New York, they ride a carriage in Central Park, eat a hot dog, and so forth. In London, they are in the environment of cultural icons such as Buckingham Palace, the Beatles, and more.”
Further, Lenger said that, in each case, the colourful M&Ms keep the same characteristics that they’ve long held. The red one is always a bit sassy and sarcastic; the yellow is rather goofy; the green is sassy with attitude, etc.. In one vignette, in the New York signage, eg, the yellow M&M has ketchup on his cheek when eating a hot dog, and the red one makes a sarcastic comment. In London, the red one acts as a Palace sentry in one vignette, but rather than always standing at attention with no expression, he keeps taking liberties, looking to the side and making faces.
When Show+Tell was asked to take on the new Shanghai store, it was faced with several specific creative challenges, including developing entertaining and informative content that would work seamlessly in both English and Mandarin on the same screens. The creative had to still give the same characteristics to each of the colourful M&M’s. The content had to be respectful to the Chinese culture. It had to have little story ideas relative to the environment. And, to top it off, the screens also had to include wayfinding for the three floors of the store, directing people to the different sections as well as washrooms and other store areas. Further, as in London and New York, the story lines had to be easily understood with the animated M&Ms because, as in New York and London, the digital signage has no audio.
“We worked closely with Ralph Lucarelli of M&M’s group visual merchandising and design,” says Lenger. “Working from our New York creative offices, we threw around all sorts of ideas, some silly and some smart, did storyboards and finally the Show+Tell team came up with a sequence of entertaining animations that activates the space and performs informational in-language wayfinding.”
The end result is a whimsical loop of branded, kinetic fun. In one of the animations, e.g., the M&Ms wear the garb of ancient Chinese warriors.
And everything, wayfinding and the entertaining animations are all on each screen, timed so that someone looking to familiarize themselves with the store layout needs less than 30 seconds dwell time before seeing the wayfinding on the long rotational loops between the animations.
So far, there are only three digital screens, one 80” and two 60”. Show+Tell handled only the content since the screens and their built-in software were handled by Alcorn McBride.
“With brands, there’s an unwritten bible on what you can and cannot do when developing content,” says Lenger. “It always involves the environment and human behaviour. And what works culturally in one place may not work in another.”
It turns out that only two companies can legally work with the M&M characters: Show+Tell and M&M’s ad agency, BBDO.
“We’re hoping to do more for M&M, as we understand more stores are being planned,” says Lenger.
Show+Tell is known across the globe as the creative and technical minds behind many of the famously evocative digital signs in New York’s Times Square, as well as a multitude of experiential installations around the world. Show+Tell has created amazing street experiences for the likes of ABC, EXPRESS, H&M, Louis Vuitton, Chase, Dreamworks, Toys ‘R Us, and Lincoln Center among others.
Show+Tell believes digital signs can be beautiful, helpful, architectural, informative and relevant; that they can enhance a space, and bring emotion to visitors, creating a dynamic, adaptive and reactive environment – and that digital signs can be fun.
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