Some lucky fans can stream Coach's fashion week show on Google Cardboard
Did your New York Fashion Week invite get lost in the mail? Coach has your back. The brand teamed up with Google to let everyone attend its next show — just not in the traditional sense.
Using Google Cardboard's 360-degree video technology, fans can virtually immerse themselves; they'll just have to pick up a custom Coach Google Cardboard first. The cardboard binoculars are being given away for free on a first-come, first-served basis at six Coach stores in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Tokyo.
Customers who don’t live near one of these locations need not fret, as they can request their own set via Instagram or Snapchat. The Snapchat promotion debuted Wednesday to @coachnyc’s followers, and the brand is launching an Instagram campaign on Thursday. Customers interested in grabbing a Google Cardboard should stay on top of Coach's social during these campaigns.
You May Also Like
Those who get Coach Cardboard can download a free Coach app so they can hook their phones up and stream the show. (You'll be able to keep the Cardboard.)
If miss out on the opportunity to score a Cardboard, you can still tune in on the 360 fun. They'll just have to resort to watching it from their iPhone or Android devices. Coach told Mashable the mobile viewing experience would still be “360,” but we suspect streaming the show sans Cardboard will feel more Skype than virtual reality.
"As New York Fashion Week continues to increase in consumer visibility, we find it even more important to embrace technology and social to amplify Coach’s message as a fashion brand," David Duplantis, president of global marketing at Coach, told Mashable. "Whereas a traditional live stream offers our view of the runway show, VR affords the viewer the role of director; 360 offers viewers the luxury of directing their experience with the Coach show, as an attendee might. If there’s a particular look they have their eyes on, they can take a second glimpse."
Coach is not the first brand to live stream a Fashion Week show using virtual reality. TopShop, which is more fast fashion than a big-name designer, pioneered the experience in February 2014. Coach is the first to do so using Google Cardboard, though.
Coach is also joining the “shoppable runway” movement that has been embraced by designers like Burberry and Rebecca Minkoff. Sort of. A Coach bag debuting at the show will be available for purchase on Coach.com immediately after the show. Fingers crossed it’s the one you have your eye on.
Coach's show will take place on Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. ET.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
