What You Need to Know
Howie Mandel is larger than life inside Skechers’ Manhattan Beach, California flagship store thanks to a new immersive hologram experience. The footwear brand and its ambassador teamed up with Proto Hologram Inc. on an interactive installation that adds retail theater to the shopping experience according to Michael Greenberg, Skechers cofounder and president. The experience, which blends entertainment, technology and retail, marks one of the first permanent Proto Hologram installations in a footwear store environment. Consumers can interact with the setup, take a selfie with the on-screen Mandel and unlock a promotion.
Greenberg said Skechers loves technology and is a technology company that wanted to expand it. The demos are just the beginning of what this machine and what Mandel and other personalities can do. With 6,000 Skechers stores globally there is plenty of room for expansion. David Nussbaum, founder of Proto Hologram, said he came up with the concept to allow a celebrity or CEO to appear like they’re physically in the room. The goal is to create a connection with fans. Mandel discovered the concept online and reached out to Nussbaum to see how he could get involved, calling it a new platform for selling, informing, explaining and teaching everything that can be done with retail.
