In-Store Media

Toronto – Staples Canada has launched its seasonal back-to-school center, Staples.ca/backtoschool, and a television and media campaign. The online center features tips for parents, teachers and students, and an e-marketplace.

Brooklyn, N.Y. - Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC), owner and developer of Westchester’s Ridge Hill, will host DreamPlace, an interactive Santa adventure. DreamWorks Animation has chosen Westchester’s Ridge Hill as one of just seven locations around the country, and the only one in the Northeast during the 2014 holiday season.

Dallas -- Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurant, Inc. has launched its first multimedia brand advertising campaign with the new company tagline, “We Speak Barbecue.” The new campaign uses both music and visuals and includes multiple 30-second national television spots, radio advertisements and a digital campaign.

Pop singer Cody Simpson has become the latest artist to join the American Rag “All Access” campaign, which kicks off July 28 and continues through November. American Rag, available only at Macy’s, launched the program in February, and features exclusive music, videos, online sweepstakes and in-store appearances from some of today’s “rising stars.”

Cambridge, U.K. -- Grafton Shopping Centre, Cambridge, is hoping to dazzle shoppers with a “virtual” employee who greets customers when they enter the mall. The shopping center is using the Tensator Virtual Assistant, innovative technology which projects a life-like image of a person.

The display interacts with customers, answering common questions and promoting mall offers. This is the very first use of the technology in a United Kingdom shopping mall.

Cleveland -- Shopping ranks as a favorite activity among nearly half of all teens and young adults aged 13 to 24, according to a new survey by Forest City in partnership with Alexander Babbage. Shopping at malls ranked above a virtual shopping experience among the entire group, with the 13-to-17-year-old age group showing the strongest preference for a bricks-and-mortar shopping experience.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot Inc. is partnering with pop-rock quintet R5 on the retailer’s back-to-school “Gotta Get INSPIR5D” campaign. Through Sept. 30, at most Office Depot and OfficeMax store locations, customers can engage with an augmented reality experience with the band.

The retail industry is awash with digital innovations, but traditional paid search programs continue to dominate retailers’ digital marketing tactics, according to the 2014 Shop.org/Forrester Research State of Retailing Online study.