As online shopping takes over a vast share of retail sales, companies are re-imagining retail spaces as an opportunity to extend the consumer experience. Opening its first Flagship retail store in 2015, Microsoft took advantage of its new high-visibility Fifth Avenue retail space to bring a permanent artistic installation to the neighbourhood featuring carefully curated Digital Materials. These digital materials were designed around the primary concept that this canvas must appear as an extension of the store’s façade and not just another digital screen.
A large LED video wall was integrated into the building’s façade and a project kicked off to transform the static structural element into an evolving digital space. Microsoft and Moment Factory worked closely together to create the overarching conceptual approach and leveraged Moment Factory’s expertise to execute on all on the concepts.
In the hands of more than twenty Moment Factory artists, the video wall feels like an extension of the building. Using photo-realistic optical illusions, the screen becomes a ‘digital stage’ governed by an amorphous but intelligent imagination. Appearing to respond to the bustle of Fifth Avenue, the artwork is dynamic, engaging and contemplative. The Fifth Avenue installation provokes street level curiosity and wonder around the store as it pulses with ideas that recognize and Reflect New York’s many rhythms, cultures, and stories, fostering a connection between Microsoft and NYC. This concept functions as a modular framework through which to reveal the store’s personality, available to evolve and grow with the holidays, seasons, and years to come.
We’ve collaborated on several launch events for Microsoft products over the years, an investment in both the projects at hand and a long-term creative partnership.
