Stuart Weitzman 5050 Boot pop-up shop on Gilt.com
Footwear label Stuart Weitzman is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of its signature 5050 Boot through a digital pop-up shop with online off-price retailer Gilt Oct. 17 – Nov. 5 to reach a global audience while experimenting with a new ecommerce tactic.
The digital format allowed Stuart Weitzman to build product awareness on a scale that bricks-and-mortar locations are not able to match. The label’s digital pop-up approach may become a trend among other online retailers looking to set themselves apart from competitors.
“We try to find all types of global activation points and we wanted to try a group of original ways to promote the 5050 boot with a multi-tiered strategy to surprise and delight consumers in a new way,” said Wayne Kulkin, CEO of Stuart Weitzman, New York.
“The brand thought it would be cool to do a pop-up Web site with an outside-the-box retailer that’s young and hip,” he said. “Even though Gilt sells merchandise at off-price, they strive for a curated look both in editorial and products.
“In 40 minutes, 250 5050 boots sold at a full retail price on an ecommerce retailer not used to selling on-price merchandise, so it was interesting for us to see how fast the world is changing and see a digital pop-up be more successful than a bricks-and-mortar location in such a short period of time.”
These boots were made for walking
Stuart Weitzman designed 10 styles specifically for the capsule collection that are available exclusively to members of Gilt. The 10 styles range in price from $598 to $10,000 for the Safari 5050 Boot.
To announce the collaboration, the two parties posted on their social media pages to promote and spread the word about the 5050 Boot pop-up shop. Both posts included links to the pop-up at http://www.5050bootcamp.com/.
Gilt’s Facebook post with Stuart Weitzman ambassador Kate Moss
A click-through on the link brings consumers to the Stuart Weitzman 5050 Boot pop-up shop on Gilt’s Web site.
The pop-up shop runs from noon Oct. 17 – Nov. 5 and features 20 styles of the 5050 Boot. The number of styles is symbolic of the boot’s anniversary and equals the days that the pop-up will be accessible.
Stuart Weitzman 5050 Boot capsule collection
The label’s Safari 5050 Boot is hand set with Swarovski crystals to bring out the boot’s leopard print fabric. Stuart Weitzman created a pair for the New York launch party and preview Oct. 16 that happened to sell.
The Safari 5050 Boot
Brand enthusiasts are likely to sign-up for Gilt to receive the Web site’s membership perks.
Gilt enhanced the experience of its members by having curated editorial content. Curated content includes campaign images of brand ambassador and model Kate Moss, an exclusive interview with Stuart Weitzman himself, a discount code for consumers who shop the capsule collection and the branded hashtag #5050bootcamp to stimulate conversation in addition to the New York launch party.
TV host Padma Lakshmi at New York launch party
“The digital pop-up with Stuart Weitzman was a great opportunity to showcase the brand and bring it to life in an editorial way on Gilt,” said Jyothi Rao, executive vice president of women’s at Gilt, New York.
“We were able to bring it all together with our unique components of the Web site, designed in-house just for the Stuart Weitzman 5050 Boot collaboration, as well as the physical event in New York,” she said.
“Our strategy is to make our strong partnerships even stronger and deeper through our innovative technology and retail approach of the business. Gilt wants to show that we do more than just liquidate excess merchandise from our partners.
Pop-up shopping
The novelty of pop-up shops are an effective way to generate buzz for short periods of time.
For example, Italian footwear label Salvatore Ferragamo is enhancing its support of the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts inaugural gala Oct. 17 with an exclusive line of accessories to be unveiled at a pop-up shop in the Beverly Hills, CA-based center’s Grand Hall.
The pop-up shop will be available both physically and digitally to the public Oct. 18 and includes Los Angeles-specific handbags, shoes, bijoux and fine jewelry designed by creative director Massimiliano Giornetti. Incorporating a new product line into the event will likely generate greater publicity for the performing arts center and punctuates the brand’s commitment to the arts (see story).
Similarly, capsule collections captivate the attention of consumers for a limited time.
For instance, Italian leather goods maker Tod’s is combining its heritage with contemporary art and style to appeal to modern, fashion-forward consumers through a microsite dedicated to its capsule footwear collection “No_Code,” which is a seasonal collaboration with magazine editor Jefferson Hack.
The ad campaign for No_Code includes an additional collaboration between Tod’s and Los Angeles-based photographer and artist Sam Falls titled “Colour Theory” meant to further express the characteristics of the capsule collection. Seasonal collaborations allow different parties to better understand each other’s aesthetics while allowing for a degree of flexibility (see story).
Pop-shops that have a life beyond ecommerce can enhance brand awareness.
“The Gilt Groupe + Stuart Weitzman 5050 Bootcamp Digital pop-up will reach Gilt users who are not necessarily Stuart Weitzman devotees or followers,” said Jason B. Cohen, executive vice president of creative at The O Group, New York .
“Most importantly, the multi-tiered approach to content including everything from a press-worthy $10,000 exclusive version, value-focused gift card offer, celebrity interview blog-post and photography, hashtags and behind-the-scenes video should effectively drive brand awareness,” he said.
“Pop-up shops aren’t categorically better than leveraging a brand’s own Web site, but they are effective at allowing brands to execute programs and engage consumers in ways that may be outside of their usual course of business.”
Final Take
Jen King, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York