Tommy Hilfiger sounds out music-based in-store installation

Digital group De-construct and creative, strategic and technology specialist Kin Design have created an interactive music-based installation for fashion retailer Tommy Hilfiger, to be rolled out across its European stores.

Tommy Hilfiger commissioned the Dutch arm of De-construct in August after inviting it to submit ideas. De-construct subsequently appointed London-based Kin Design directly.

De-construct was given a loose brief to fuse fashion and music through an in-store installation. It interpreted this with an idea to match different music styles to different jeans. Kin Design was employed to realise a strategy for this.

Using radio-frequency identification technology, Kin Design developed a solution that allows tagged jeans to be swiped by a reader, playing music programmed into the tag.

Concepts for window displays and changing rooms were dropped in favour of installing the design in 1.8m-high mod-el cassette tapes (pictured).

Kin Design partner Kevin Palmer says, ‘It’s an interactive installation with no screen and no graphics – simple at the base level but using complex hardware.’

A different genre of music is played, depending on the style of jean selected.

De-construct partner Neil Bedwell says, ‘We commissioned Record Play to make original tracks. It is an independent music consultancy that provides music for brand work.’

Dutch consultancy Liganova was commissioned by Tommy Hilfiger to create the casing for the tape.

The units are being rolled out in 60 stores, starting this week.