We Are Organized Chaos

Barbie’s Dream Closet Is Powered By Zugara’s Webcam Social Shopper

The latest company to license our augmented reality merchandising software, the Webcam Social Shopper (WSS), is one of the world’s most iconic brands: Barbie.

Partnering with Mattel, AttentionUSA and several other amazing companies we let fans of all ages step inside Barbie’s Dream Closet and actually see what they would look like in some of her most famous outfits. It was just over a week ago that the Dream Closet came to life as both a New York Fashion Week event and a website, but I’ll let Mattel’s press release provide more context, rather than recreate the wheel:

The Barbie® Dream Closet New York Fashion Week Experience

Debuting at the famed Lincoln Center, Barbie® will unveil a larger-than-life installation of her ultimate Dream Closet complete with 24-foot tall, jewel encrusted doors leading into a two-story, 9,000 square-foot set with multiple dressing vignettes. The New York Fashion Week installation will transport fashionistas and fans in the area inside Barbie’s fantastical wardrobe complete with augmented reality technology “mirrors” that allow users to literally doll themselves up in Barbie’s most iconic, playful and glamorous outfits from the past five decades. Live models also will “dress the set” adorned in high-luxe looks on loan from the Albright Fashion Library, an exclusive couture library that includes styles from Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Moschino, Chloe, and Burberry.

BarbieWow.com: A Global Fashion Destination for Fans of All Ages

BarbieWow.com opens its online doors on February 9th as the brand’s first single, global digital destination. The pink portal will transport fans in more than 30 countries inside Barbie’s Dream Closet with unique brand integrations and new media channels of “sharing and trending” that will turn raiding Barbie’s wardrobe into real-time, globally-shared experiences.

Once inside her Dream Closet, girls of all ages can explore a world of endless fashion, accessories and imaginative play, through interactive activities such as a design studio to dress up Barbie® and augmented-reality “mirrors” to dress up themselves using the doll’s favorite fashions. In partnership with top digital and style destinations Polyvore, Pinterest and Rent the Runway, girls can take inspiration from Barbie to create real-life looks and designs that are all their own. The site also features a section titled “Behind Pink Doors,” where top fashion influencers share stories behind meaningful pieces from their personal closet as an example of the transformative power of fashion.

To date, over 530 stories have been written about the Dream Closet, including pieces by The Wall Street Journal, CNET, PSFK and the Associated Press.  And while it feels fantastic to get that sort of coverage, it’s reactions like the ones below that make the late nights worth it. Also included below is a rough cut of some video taken during the Fashion Week event.  It documents two young women’s reactions as they use The Webcam Social Shopper for the first time.  Just like they would in a store, the young women start to honestly discuss what look works and doesn’t work (for them).

 

 A Young Woman Using The Dream Closet At Fashion Week

 

A Young Woman Reacts To The Webcam Social Shopper (Credit: WSJ)

 

A Young Barbie Cheerleader (Credit: BumpToBean)

 

  Two Young Women Using The Dream Closet ( Rough Cut Video)

Why Micro-Payments Aren’t Going To Save Journalism

At this point you may have heard the news that Rupert Murdoch is going to introduce micro-payments for individual Wall Street Journal articles sometime this fall. It’s evidently going to be a “sophisticated” system… If there’s anything the average consumer loves, it’s complex and sophisticated online ordering mechanisms.  Personally, I think his timing is fantastic too. The economy has never looked better, and I know most people are looking for ways to spend all the money that’s just piling up in their pockets.

Obviously, the print industry is in big trouble. Somehow, inexplicably, in 2009 the Internet has caught them off-guard and they are struggling for ways to stay afloat. So, the WSJ will be giving micro-payments a shot. To be honest, it’s not really a revolutionary move. Traditional pubs have tried using micro-payments as an online model in the past, and it has failed. Live and don’t learn I guess. Now, print industry leaders would like to have us believe that times have changed. “Just look at iTunes success,” they say. The thinking is that the consumer is now used to paying for small pieces of content online and will subsequently be more receptive to adopting the model this time. Well, yes and no. This model clearly works for music, and will work for movies, but won’t work for articles, here’s why:

1. Everyone is now accustomed to getting their news online for free. Why would consumers suddenly start paying publishers for something that they haven’t had to buy before? Where is their motivation? When music was “free to download”, everyone knew deep down that they were stealing it. There was no legitimate solution that satisfied the consumer’s need for digital downloads until Apple put one together. The difference here is that the publishers are putting their own articles on the web for free. Nobody’s conscience is bothering them because they’re reading these articles.
2. The options for news online are relatively infinite, and virtually all of it’s free. Consumers have options, and if Murdoch wants to charge, that’s fine, it’s his right. But people will just go someplace else. When something happens in the news, there is a flood of content. There’s no shortage of coverage, or options for the consumer. But when Green Day releases a single, there’s just that one song, there’s just that one option for the consumer.
3. When consumers buy a song, they know exactly what they will be getting. They know for a fact that they want it, and will like it. That is just not the case with an article. Much of the end product that you are purchasing is a mystery. Purchasing an article is simply more of a “risk”.
4. My freshman year suite-mate seemingly listened to Nate Dogg and Warren G’s “Regulate” on repeat for an entire year.  I bring this up to raise two quick points, 1) music fulfills an emotional need for the consumer.  And 2) music is a product that is reusable and has a relatively long shelf life. This means, that in the consumers mind, their micro-purchase will be providing value for a long time to come.  Articles on the other hand, are a one and done type of product.

So, Mr. Murdoch, you want me to buy something, sight unseen, that I will only use once, and can get a (relatively) comparable version of for free?

It seems to me that Murdoch is making a classic interactive marketing mistake. He’s building a “solution” based on how he wants the consumer to act, not based on how they actually do act. His plan is focused on not cannibalizing the Journal’s existing revenue streams. He’s putting what he wants, or hopes for, above the realities of his consumer’s needs. This business philosophy didn’t work out for the music industry, and my guess is it won’t save journalism either.

And make no mistake about it. We need journalism to be saved. I’m not talking about the hard news. As noted above, we can get that from numerous sources. What we truly need is investigative journalism. In depth analysis. And, my guess is that journalism will be saved. If there’s a need, or a consumer demand, someone will fill the void. I think real innovation will come from outside the existing print community though. They’re just too close to it. Too unwilling to change. Just as Apple came in and revolutionized music, an outside player will have the epiphany that ends up saving investigative journalism. That’s what I hope at any rate. So, what do you think?  jack2point0