Pearl Media has built a lot of out-of-home storefront displays for some of the best global brands and we thought we had seen it all…until the awesome folks at VICELAND reached out to ask us the craziest question; “can you completely fill two storefronts with weed for Weed Week?” After reeling back in our seats for a moment, we put our heads down and went to work on one of the most exciting storefront programs to date.
That’s A Lot Of Weed
The first question on our mind was obviously “how do we get a hold of that much weed?” shortly followed by “how do we not get arrested?” The answer to both of those were to fake it! Diving into the world of prop fabrication, we created over 65 cubic feet of fake weed buds. Combined with a lighted back drop, an illusion was created that the made the entire storefront space seem like it was piled high with weed.
Green Is In The Air
We think of ourselves as masters of immersion, so we set out to not only stimulate the eyes, but the nose as well. At our NYC storefront location, we restored and customized a dilapidated ATM to dispense fake joints, receipts with tune-in info as well as the scent of some seriously strong weed. If seeing the storefront wasn’t intense enough, the smell of it sure was.
Where To Find It
More than 63 cubic feet of weed was split between two storefront locations, one on the Lower East Side of NYC and the other in Hollywood, LA. Supported with additional out-of-home placements on our Chelsea Market Feed and wallscape, Weed Week reached approximately 7,000,000 consumers on
the street.
Tell Your Friends
Consumers were all too eager to snap photos of the storefronts and share over their Twitter and Instagram. Soon enough, Weed Week was blazing through social media! With nearly 500 photos uploaded, 3.5 million social impressions were earned (and still counting).
Lessons Learned
Cultural reflections aside, these storefronts showcased the power of the medium. Rising above a two dimensional canvas, creating relevance with messaging and a sensory display resonates well with consumers. The spectacle alone, if strong enough, is all the incentive you need for consumers to stop, engage and share.
