Source: The New York Times
Target has just transformed its iconic Times Square billboards into an artistic homage to New York City with the unveiling of larger-than-life commissioned works from emerging artists. The billboards, which will remain on display through the end of October, are slated to take on a second life after their run on 42nd Street when the vinyl is restyled into 1,600 limited-edition, affordable tote bags, based on a design conceived exclusively for Target by fashion icon Anna Sui.
Starting on September 4, customers will be able to order upcycled totes on the Target website for $29.99, which will be delivered in January 2010.
Anna Sui for Target® Tote - Josh Goldstein Collage
Four New York-based artists, Laurie Rosenwald, Michael Anderson, Josh Goldstein, and Charles Wilkin, were chosen in partnership with New York-based ad agency, Mother, to create original art pieces inspired by both New York City and the iconic Target Bullseye in one of the most trafficked public areas in the world.
- Laurie Rosenwald created two collages, one starring a cheery face and the other featuring pop typography including words like “SEE” and “NYC.”
- Michael Anderson borrows from the bold lines and colors of street posters and depicts a red, white and round Statue of Liberty and Big Apple.
- Josh Goldstein intersects images of New York City signs from bodegas and Coney Island to create a giant red Bullseye.
- Charles Wilkin’s piece is a clever collage of classic New York imagery, including a yellow taxi and a subway stop.
Stuart Elliot of The New York Times noted, “The promotion is reminiscent of when Target was the sole sponsor of an issue of The New Yorker (Aug. 22, 2005), in which all the Target ads inside were illustrations with Gotham themes.”
His story included some other interesting tidbits:
- The Target promotion is timed to coincide with New York Fashion Week, Sept. 10 to 17. The billboards are planned to stay up through National Design Week, Mr. Francis said, which is Oct. 18 to 24.
- The promotion is also pegged to a temporary Target retail outlet, called a pop-up store, devoted to a line from Ms. Sui to be sold at regular Target stores. The store, in SoHo, is to be open Sept. 10 to 12.
- Target joins several advertisers in Times Square that are adopting environmental themes for their oversized signs, known as spectaculars. Others include Coca-Cola and Ricoh.
This is a really creative way to drive brand awareness and reinforce eco-awareness.
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