Step into Los Angeles’ version of Refinery29’s 29Rooms pop-up “Expand Your Reality” and you’ll get what’s expected—opportunities for selfies—but you’ll also see many familiar brands including Pantene, Birchbox and Smirnoff. This playground is an opportunity for exposure—especially those geared towards women and millennials—and the holiday season is an added bonus.
The 29Rooms experience launched in 2015 in New York, but this will be its first stop in Los Angeles. There are seven rooms and two activations new to L.A version.
Of the 29 rooms, only two are actually branded—Pantene and Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs.Maisel—other brands choose to place activations at the experience, more in the style of an enormous, colorful stand.
One of these stands is a Mastercard and Fred Segal collaboration located directly to your right when you walk into 29Rooms.
Attendees can take pictures in front of a big red heart light or pose by the large striped wall. Mastercard is also the 2018 official payment and technology partner of 29Rooms. The corporation worked with Fred Segal and Refinery29 to create a new platform featuring a digital window (display screen) with a virtual tour of the Fred Segal store on Sunset Blvd.
The partnership brings Fred Segal, a 60-year old luxury retail store with only seven stores worldwide, and Mastercard back together after a previous collaboration experience in April.
At the 29Rooms activation, shoppers can navigate through the three-dimensional store and touch items they’re interested in. The activation features “29 gifts for everyone on your list,” an idea stemmed from Refinery29’s popular gift guide.
“Women like an experience and ease when they shop,” said Ashley Miles, chief client officer and head of advertising in North America for Refinery29.
“Our cardholders have many passions, and we use the sponsorship of events like 29Rooms as a way to bring them closer to the things they love to do and experience,” said Robyn Cottelli, North American communications business leader for Mastercard. “29Rooms—and other events that we sponsor—also provide an opportunity for us to bring our payment technology to life in new and exciting ways, like we did with immersive commerce here in LA…”
Mastercard felt Fred Segal, known for being innovative and disruptive, was a perfect partner to develop and set up new products and platforms to enhance the shopping experience.
“There’s a convergence of brick & mortar with digital, and there is finally some digital tools that make it more interesting to experiential minded retailers like Fred Segal,” said John Frierson, president of Fred Segal. “Every time you touch a consumer with your brand, it matters. Regardless of the platform.”
The interactive event also features spaces for artists and organizations like the ACLU, and runs December 5 – 9 at The Reef in downtown Los Angeles.