Nickelodeon came to IDL Worldwide and sister agency Crack Experience, part of Matthews Brand Solutions to take their brand retail experience to the next level at Toys-R-Us in Times Square, NYC, one of the top three visited tourist attractions in the US. From concept, retail and environmental design to media and digital development, all the way through to execution, the IDL and Crack teams developed and managed the entire program to create a one-of-a-kind digital retail experience. To bring Nickelodeon’s characters to life within the exclusive retail space, IDL’s 3D Visualization and Digital team worked together to conceptualize and produce an enhanced digital retail experience. Five large format displays were installed with engaging and interactive content, including a playful ‘Do Not Touch’ Button. Upon touch, kids are greeted with everything from talking fish to flying doughnuts, ensuring that families will have an unforgettable experience.

Not only do the interactive displays create a memorable, hands-on experience for those in store, but also are impactful from afar. Easily seen from the heart of Times Square and throughout all levels of the Toys-R-US flagship store, the large digital displays provide a seamless integration to showcase Nickelodeon’s humorous and entertaining characters. Being that Nickelodeon is a brand that is all about creating a fun environment for kids, it was imperative for the 1000 sq. foot retail space to be transformed as such. Senior Multimedia Developer Jeremy Helms explains, “We wanted to create a super exclusive playground just for kids. The purpose was to maximize fun while they are in the space checking out their favorite Nickelodeon characters. Now that kids grow up immersed and surrounded by digital interactions, they almost expect it nowadays. Our team, being kids at heart, were also inspired to create real fun with big media.”

To match Nickelodeon’s brand color from floor to ceiling, the Crack team spent two months of custom color matching paint, powder coated metal, flooring and graphics. Amongst all the orange, the newly completed digital integration set the tone for what was an immersive and successful Grand Opening on May 29th. Although the five displays are located in Times Square’s Toys-R-Us flagship store, the developed system is managed in such a way that content can be synced to any location in the world. Media content can be played at specific times and overlay interactive content without interrupting the video wall features, which allows for both scheduled content and even last minute changes.

The system’s content plays off of set lists, much like a music playlist. The similarity stops there however, as the complex system is able to play five full 1080p resolution videos in sync, all of which were created in-house. Based on the list of shows that Nickelodeon wanted to promote, IDL’s 3D Visualization team used a vast array of media assets to create all of the animated and graphic content that is displayed on screen.

Photo Cred: Scott G.Morris – SGM Photography