Squeeze Me Lightly™ Where Lovers Lie in Ragtrader & Australian Creative
Originally published in Ragtrader
Music & fashion combine
25 Nov 2011
A retail innovation centred around interactive fabrics that create music proved a big hit in Melbourne.
Pop-up store and fashion label, Where Lovers Lie, teamed up with sonic branding experts, the Amber Theatre, as part of Melbourne Music Week.
They then combined the mediums of music and fashion to create an interactive musical instrument controlled by smart textiles.
Store visitors were invited to squeeze the clothing on a mannequin, which then played music inside a computer that is connected to the fabric.
A spokesman from the Squeeze Me Lightly Where Lovers Lie initiative said it was designed to help change customers from passive browsers into active creators of new, exciting and memorable retail experiences.
“This heralds a new way of combining sonic branding, fashion and visual merchandising in a world of outdated and boring retail environments,” a spokesman said. “The experience takes visitors on a playful sensory adventure that increases brand awareness and builds powerful emotional connections with products, brands and retail environments and it’s a whole lot of fun.”
Visitors quickly understood how it worked and formed impromptu jams before then showing newcomers what to do.
The installation, in Melbourne’s GPO, Bourke Street, runs until Saturday.
Originally published in Australian Creative
The Amber Theatre joins forces with Where Lovers Lie in a unique fashion creation
30 Nov 2011
An unusual interactive musical instrument – disguised as a mannequin – has gone down a storm in Melbourne in a recent experiential sonic branding campaign.
The creators of the imaginative retail installation wanted their end product to represent the future of sound in fashion – and, from the public reaction, they look to have succeeded.
Sonic branding experts The Amber Theatre and fashion label Where Lovers Lie joined forces to develop Squeeze Me Lightly Where Lovers Lie. Their creation is a mannequin dressed in black, with wing-like arms that, when squeezed, plays music.
The creation combines sonic branding, fashion and visual merchandising, challenging outdated and boring retail environments and transforming customers from passive browsers to creators of new and exciting retail experiences.
The artwork was on display in Melbourne’s GPO.
Marcel de Bie, The Amber Theatre’s creative director, said people’s reactions to the installation were amazing.
“People kept going back for more, learning the instrument and becoming more sophisticated in their music making – and we’re talking about people who aren’t musically trained,” he said. “It’s great because people weren’t focusing on the technology – they were too busy having fun making music, engaging with the beautiful outfit and creating something amazing through touch and sound.”