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Skyscrapers and ice cream
June 11, 2008

I just read this article about artist Chris Burden's "poetic interpretation" of the 30 Rock Building at Rockefeller Center in NYC; he made it with replicated Erector set pieces.

The steel toy parts were assembled into a 65-foot tower.

This impresses me on a few levels. First, the fact that he’s been working on this since 2006 shows he was incredibly dedicated to a project that wouldn’t have “results” for a few years. Second, it’s not permanent; it will be on display until July 19. Third, he used replicated toys to build it. Fourth, the story was so different Reuters picked it up.

This got me to thinking how the ubiquitous phrase “thinking outside the box” really does work. Granted Burden is an artist and wasn’t doing this to promote a product or a store, but what if he was?

What kinds of things could you do to create interest in your product or store? I know many of you offer seminars and classes in your stores, but what about something above and beyond? Something that will get people talking?

There's a cause involved as well--saving the honey bee.

Another outside the box idea I came across was from Haagen Dazs. Last month a friend signed me up for this viral marketing program the ice cream maker was running. The only way to “enter” the program was to be invited by someone. Haagen Dazs emailed me, using the address my friend gave them, and asked me if I’d like to receive samples of a few of their new flavors. I choose when I wanted the package delivered, which was a week later. When I opted in I then got to send them four of my friends names, and so on and so on.

On the day of my delivery I received a confirmation email letting me know it had been delivered and low and behold there was a dry ice packed cooler of four pints of new flavors and snack size ice cream bars at my front door.

I don’t know how many people I’ve told about this cool idea. You can bet the next time I’m buying ice cream I’m going to look for Haagen Dazs.

Posted by Lisa Casinger on June 11, 2008 | Comments (0)