Samsung invited several dozen members of the technology press to the Time Warner Center's Samsung Experience on Thursday, March 4, for a look at its new notebooks, monitors, and televisions, all displayed in six custom vignettes to replicate the parts of life where the products could be used. To make sure attendees saw the full spectrum of the offerings—and walked away with a choice gift bag at the end—staffers at each station stamped custom passports after delivering their spiel.
No, guests weren't held against their will or denied swag if their small leather books weren't completely stamped, but the process did maintain flow from station to station and prompted interaction with Samsung representatives. The company's information technology division worked with publicity firm Allison & Partners to produce the preview and brought on trade show exhibit designer Visual Communications Inc. to build the custom vignettes.
The six areas Samsung chose to focus on—a coffee shop, airplane, dorm room, living room, blogger lounge, and photo studio—were either integrated into the space's existing experiential setup or built into freestanding structures in the middle of the venue. White booths simulated computing environments in a cafe and on a plane and served as a backdrop for video spots filmed on site.
Since many of the products will be sold exclusively at Best Buy retailers, gift cards to the store were placed in Samsung branded backpacks, along with Blu-ray copies of films such as 2012, Star Trek, and Up.
