L’Oréal Taps Taxis to Drive Fashion Week Sales

L’Oréal USA, a sponsor of Fashion Week in New York City last week, took over a fleet of city taxicabs with a “Snap-to-Buy” technology. As Fashionistas rode from fashion shows to after parties and back, the brand entertained them with videos featuring L’Oréal USA’s Yves Saint Laurent-branded makeup and beauty product how-to videos. After the entertainment and education, the riders got the opportunity to scan a “Shop the Look” QR code to purchase the products showcased in the video, right on the spot. A smartphone wasn’t required, just a camera-enabled mobile phone, so anyone could take part, though smartphone users could download a scanner app to scan the QR code. The credit card payment information only needed to be entered on the first purchase, and was thereafter saved in an encrypted “mobile wallet” that is accessed for future Snap-to-Buy purchases. The brand is monitoring sales and social media buzz to determine if it will go ahead with similar activations in the future.

“Our strategy for supporting our customers’ beauty needs is not limited to fashion week. We want to be there for her where, when, how and how often she desires,” Marc Speichert, cmo-L’Oréal USA, told Buzz. “That means we need to listen to her and fashion week will allow us to showcase another example of commitment to delivering on our vision.” Technology: SpyderLynk, Denver.