My case study to the first interactive catwalk show of it's kind. How Topshop's innovative partnership with Google won plaudits at London Fashion Week 2013.

1. Topshop & Google
Hosting the first interactive catwalk
show at London Fashion Week
Case Study
27/02/2013

2. OVERVIEW
On Sunday 17th February, Topshop and Google teamed up for what is
claimed to be the first interactive live streamed fashion show of its kind.
HOW DID THEY DO THIS?
Using a selection of Google properties and
Topshop’s owned channels, the show was
brought to life using a number of different
activations pre, during and post event.
WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?
The catwalk show drew a great deal of
plaudits for both brands during the height of
London Fashion Week.
The show was the first of its kind and is
another example of a brand using social
platforms to engage users online from a live
event.

3. AUDIENCE INTERACTION IS POWERFUL

4. THE BENEFITS OF MAKING LIVE EVENTS
INTERACTIVE TO PEOPLE ONLINE
The growing importance of social media and online content
• Social media creates the opportunity for
mass-scale participation.
• It brings people closer to their interests.
• An engaged audience is much more
valuable than a passive one. Information
is absorbed to a much deeper degree
when you feel a part of the experience.

5. THE BENEFITS OF MAKING LIVE EVENTS
INTERACTIVE TO PEOPLE ONLINE
The growing importance of social media and online content
• It’s easy to share real-time content and
word of mouth is the strongest form of
marketing communication.
• Point of purchase potential – consumers
can download music, click on the clothes
and pre-order items, chat to the design
team etc.
• Live events that would have once taken
place and passed us by, are now
everlasting online through content
created and shared.

6. KEY FEATURES OF THE SHOW
1. In-store Google+ booth
2. Google+
3. 3D Google maps
4. Google+ hangouts
5.YouTube
6. Model Cam & Shoot The Show
7. ‘Be the buyer’ app

7. 1. IN-STORE GOOGLE+ BOOTH
Digital photo booth housed in flagship store
• Three days before the show a ‘Be the
model’ digital photo booth was housed in
the London flagship store on Oxford Street
• Customers were able to try on their
favourite outfits and pose for pictures in
the booth, which creates animated GIFs
users can share with others on their social
networks
• A giant screen was also installed in the
store that live streamed the show and all
the events in the build-up
Google ‘own’ Photo Booth Interactive Touch
Technology Screen Giant Phone

8. 2. GOOGLE+
Making the most of the Google+ features
• The show was streamed live on Google+
• Users could follow the models experience in the
run up to the show and throughout the day
• Prior to the show, content around competitions
and model diaries were shared to build
anticipation
• As standard with Google+, users could +1 (i.e.
like), comment or share this content with
friends

9. 3. 3D GOOGLE MAPS
Using 3D Google Maps, viewers were able to see inside the venue and
around the gallery before the show

10. 4. GOOGLE+ HANGOUTS
The Google+ video chat feature allowed fans to connect with the design team
and Creative Director on a personal level
• Google+ hangouts allow you to
video chat with up to 9 people at a
time. Hangouts can be held
privately or made open to the public
(the host has control over who is
invited into the hangout).
• Using Google hangouts, Topshop
Hangout attendees can be seen along the bottom
hosted a live Q&A session with their
design team and Creative Director,
Kate Phelan
• Viewers were able to watch live behind
the scenes final preparation for the
show

11. 5. YOUTUBE
YouTube hosted the backstage video content and the live stream for the show
Live streaming on YouTube means the show has the potential to reach a global audience.
Today, hosting events offline AND online switches the dynamic from exclusive to all-inclusive.
YouTube is great for hosting additional behind the scenes and branded content, bringing fans closer to the
event and their idols, in this case the designers.
Live Stream Behind the scenes

12. 6. MODEL CAM and SHOOT THE SHOW
• Witness the show live from a catwalk model’s perspective
• Capture and share your favourite moments in real-time
By clicking the ‘Shoot the show’ button
(left) users could capture their favourite
moments and share with friends and
followers on Twitter, G+, Facebook,
Tumblr and Pinterest as they happened.
Live HD-cameras were built into the models clothes
allowing the viewer to see the catwalk from the
models point-of-view.
These were both fantastic innovations for
the catwalk experience.
Both were brilliantly executed and made
for a seamless user experience.

13. 7. BE THE BUYER APP
Fans create and share their own fashion collections using items from
the catwalk
• The app is run on Google+ and was not live during the show. It was
launched the day after on Monday 18th February
• Topshop experts and influential bloggers provided useful tips and advice
on Google+
1. Drag your items into the boxes located
• There was a competition element too, with the user who selected the best
on the right collection winning a shopping spree
• Topshop are using insights taken from the data the app provides, to help
their buying team decide what items to bring to retail
2. Create your collection
3. Share it on Google +

14. KEY FEATURES OF THE SHOW (REVIEW)
All the features knitted together nicely and brought people closer to the show.
The staged approach was well executed and made for a richer experience.
1. In-store Google+ booth
2. Google+
PRE The foundation stage allowed awareness and excitement
to build before the show.
3. 3D Google maps
4. Google+ hangouts
DURING Users are able to interact with the
stream and capture their favourite
content before sharing with their friends
5.YouTube and followers in real time.
6. Model Cam & Shoot The Show
7. ‘Be the buyer’ app
POST Because of all the content captured by Topshop,
Google and the viewers, people were able to re-
live the event, or witness the show for the first
time at their leisure.

15. HOW WAS THIS EVENT BENEFICIAL TO
TOPSHOP?

16. MAKING A STATEMENT
The battle to stand out The online element gave Topshop were able to show that
against other brands at Topshop the chance to they are an experiential and
London Fashion Week is showcase their collection to innovative brand
intense. The show their entire target audience
generated PR and positive rather than restricting the We have always prided
reviews across the internet experience to those ourselves on being first
and within the industry. exclusively invited to the to market with the
event latest trends and
product innovation”
(Sir Philip Green, Arcadia)
“It’s about [using digital] to let
customers in and have access to
something that is usually closed
off. We want to connect to the
emotional side of the show”
(Justin Cooke, Topshop’s Chief
Marketing Officer)

17. POSTIVE BRAND EXPERIENCE = POSITIVE
WORD OF MOUTH

18. HOW WAS THIS EVENT BENEFICIAL TO
GOOGLE?

19. THE SLEEPING GIANT – GOOGLE+
Are we beginning to see the potential for Google’s social media platform?
The event allowed Google to:
1. Showcase the benefits of 2. Encourage inactive Google+
using their technology. Prior to members to experience the
the event lots of people were still various benefits of the platform
unconvinced and become active members
again
3. Battle to increase their user 4. Increase awareness of their
base and compete long-term Although Google was the
platform features such as 3D
with Facebook partner for the activity, the
maps & hangouts
campaign was integrated
across Facebook, Twitter,
Pinterest and Tumblr

20. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS CAMPAIGN
Topshop and Google
made it easy for people
The staged approach was to capture and SHARE
well thought out, building the content. Reaching a
anticipation up to the live wider, connected
event audience
Online users were brought A more ‘complete’
in and made to feel a part experience was delivered
of the show through real- through pre, during and
time interactivity and post post event activations
event

21. DON’T LIMIT YOURSELF TO AT EVENT
ACTIVITY!
It’s important to note that this campaign did not start at the event. It
started weeks in advance.
Creating ‘buzz’ before the event is as important as what takes place .
Consider not only the audience at the event, but how can you reach out to
those at home and online.
Be innovative – using existing technology in a noble way can be as
powerful as coming up with something completely new.

23. A SNAPSHOT OF OTHER BRANDS AT
LONDON FASHION WEEK
Burberry have introduced 2 new
concepts that allow customers to pre-
order clothes off the runway & watch
in-store clips of the clothes being Vine is a social platform that
created (Click here) allows users to upload 6 second
video clips and share them on
Twitter & Facebook
Peter Pilotto posted images on
Twitter in a countdown to the show
Designers & bloggers hosted Q&A THE BENEFITS:
sessions on twitter using #AskLFW • Brands can quickly & easily
share insight
• Share real-time content
Burberry, Jonathon Saunders, Paul • More engaging than
Smith & the British Fashion Council photographs
were using Vine during LFW
Read more here Click here to watch

24. THE POTENTIAL FOR YOUR BRANDS IS
THERE – WILL YOU REALISE IT IN 2013?

25. Thank You
THANK YOU FOR READING
Tommy Willis (@TommyMWillis)