Canada Goose, a luxury Canadian heritage retail brand, took a huge step into footwear for the first time in the brand’s history. As part of their “Beyond the Parka” growth strategy, they decided to diversify their winter wear by launching a line of high-tech winter footwear. For this global launch, Canada Goose wanted to deliver immersive, and engaging integrated brand experiences that would emotionally connect with customers bringing richer storytelling, and an enhanced fit experience to retail locations across Canada, USA, London, Paris, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, with additional locations planned in future.
Throughout 2021 my team provided an extensive digital experience strategy to help shape the customer journey and identify the role of technology and digital experiences within the physical retail locations. We worked closely with Montreal-based retail design firm GH+A Design to seamlessly blend our digital experiences with their beautiful store design. As part of our experience strategy, we explored several emerging technology solutions including, AR/VR, 3D Projection Mapping, 3D Holographic, and Spatial Reality Displays, to complement more conventional large-format LED video walls and Digital Signage Displays. We provided conceptual renders, animated presentations, and prototypes that we reviewed during weekly sessions to narrow down the optimal solutions. Throughout this phase of the project, we worked closely with LG for screen-based and DVLED display technology. We also worked closely with the leader in 3D foot scanning technology, Volumental, and HyperVSN for 3D Holographic led fan technology. We provided detailed specifications, shop drawings, integration guides, and costs for the various digital experiences in each location. This allowed Canada Goose to plan budgets and define the customer journey for each location. As we began refining the technology, we began designing and creating the digital experience content. The goal was to establish consistent themes and desired responses from customers in both the technology and content that would roll out globally.
We knew that we would want to first connect with customers through large digital signage experiences that would draw them in and wow them. In the Canton Road location in Hong Kong, we created a stunning ceiling-mounted 6750mm x 1812mm DVLED entranceway. As part of our Canadian Heritage roots, we wanted something that conveyed the beauty of our northern paradise to the world. We designed a custom ultra-high-resolution 3D Northern Lights interstitial that mesmerizes customers as they approach the store exterior and blankets over them as they climb the front entry stairway. At the Sherway Gardens Experience Store in Toronto, we wanted to take this experience even further. We elevated an existing experience where customers enter through a long narrow crevasse with rock-surfaced walls. The floor comes to life with digital screens underneath the glass that simulate cracking ice as customers walk through the crevasse. To heighten this experience, we designed and integrated the first of its kind ceiling-mounted HyperVSN 3D holographic LED fan experience. This featured an adapted version of our 3D Northern Lights Interstitial, sound effects, and lighting that provides a sensory-rich experience.
Throughout the retail locations, we wanted to continue to engage customers through digital signage experiences. We designed various larger-than-life DVLED walls in varying configurations and aspect ratios to best compliment the physical properties of each location. In Paris, London, and Shanghai, we designed a 3000mm x 1012mm DVLED wall. These screens featured beautiful lifestyle and product-centric content spots allowing the customer to build an emotional connection to the branded imagery and lifestyle portrayed. In specific locations, like Yorkdale in Toronto and Canton Road in Hong Kong, we also introduced transparent OLED experiences that provide complete transparency when black and vivid, beautiful lifestyle and product content when they light up. These are touch-enabled screens in preparation for interactive content to come later. At the Sherway Gardens location in Toronto, a large round 360-degree projection experience inside the Elements Room is highlighted by a beautiful cocoon-like structure inspired by indigenous art and structures designed by GH+A that houses one of our digital foot scanning experiences.
To captivate customers and deliver two-way engagement, we explored a very unique guided interactive fit experience. Canada Goose wanted to deliver a new fit experience that would provide accurate measurement and custom fit profiles of customers’ feet and recommend the best footwear options based on fit and lifestyle needs. Given this is for luxury retail, the role of the sales associate as a concierge for customers to help guide them along with their visit and help them find the optimal fit was key. We designed a custom digital experience that paired our digital signage software and dynamic content with Volumental’s foot scanners. Through API hooks between our technologies, we were able to display branded customer-facing results on our screens while Canada Goose staff are armed with tablets that were paired with the foot scanners and provided a combination of 3D foot scans, qualifying questions, data, and AI to recommend the optimal boot, size, and options for customers. This also allowed a fit profile to be created for the customer that was later sent to them and stored in-house to help them with future purchases.