Amazon's whimsical, nondenominational activation—dubbed "Alexa in a Pear Tree" and inspired by children's book writer Beatrix Potter—opened on Dec. 3 and runs through Dec. 12 between the hours of 12 p.m. and 9 p.m. Jack Bedwani of New Moon said that the industry can expect to see more and more of these types of activations from retailers due to the ability to create a personalized experience for each user, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.Photo: Tory Stolper Photography
Here's how it works: The Alexa-enabled window features 12 unique "routines" (a shortcut for Alexa that saves users time by grouping together actions rather than having to ask for them individually) that correspond to a series of relatable commands consumers would use at home during the holidays, such as “Alexa, turn on the holiday lights” and “Alexa, when will my cookies be done?” Thanks to hidden microphones connected directly to the Alexa that sits inside the window, users can walk up to activation and say any of these commands that trigger one of the 12 routines, each of which is represented within its own birdhouse hanging from a custom-made, fairytale-inspired tree. From there, users can watch the magic happen inside the window as the woodland creatures come to life through sound, lighting and motion.
The whimsical, nondenominational activation—dubbed "Alexa in a Pear Tree" and inspired by children's book writer Beatrix Potter—opened on Dec. 3 and runs through Dec. 12 between the hours of 12 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Between the intricate, custom fabrication and high-tech nature of the project, New Moon founder and CEO Jack Bedwani said it took 16 days to bring to life after the final concept was approved by the brand. "We constructed the entire window in our warehouse first, and allowed an additional two days of tech checks and testing of the programming before installation in the actual pop-up space began. On-site, we installed the window over three days, allowing a 48-hour buffer for tech checks and testing in advance of the unveiling on Thursday evening. It was an efficient operation!"
With so many moving parts (pun intended), the team was bound to hit a welcome challenge or two along the way. Bedwani shared that, "A fun challenge was ensuring optimal sound quality so that Alexa can do her job. She's a great listener, but getting a clear audio line on a high-traffic street corner like Spring and Lafayette is no easy task! The resolution required some clever solutions to muffle ambient noise and some technical gymnastics that enabled us to position a hidden mic in the front of the storefront, wired directly into Alexa yet completely invisible for guests."
Though this unique activation was the first of its kind, Bedwani predicts it won't be the last. "Our cultural forecast is that the retail industry will lean more and more into user-activated technology through smart devices to allow viewers to personalize their experiences," he explained. "We’ll continue to see more innovation and creativity when it comes to experience customization and personalization in retail settings.”
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the holiday-themed experience.
When it came to the technology behind the installation's design, Bedwani explained: "One of the unexpected challenges was the technicalities of introducing robotics and moving elements into our fairytale-inspired aesthetic. Our creative design has a 2D pop-up storybook feel to it. That involved laser-cutting the illustrated pieces in a way that allowed each birdhouse to have some depth dimension. When we introduced robotics, we had to find a way to have some of the characters viewable in 3D. This was a construction and technical challenge that required multiple last-minute redesigns, but I’m happy to say that we got there in the end."
"Magical holiday windows have been one of the biggest highlights in New York City for more than a hundred years," said Scully. "As the city reopens and is starting to welcome back visitors again, we saw an opportunity to not just join this special tradition but to make it our own by putting smiles on people’s faces and showing how Alexa and our other devices can bring more magic to the festive season."
