In-Store Media

Toys"R"Us is unveiling a new hashtag — #LetsPlay — for its latest ad campaign, which features traditional television spots. The retailer will also be leveraging Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and The Toys"R"Us YouTube Channel to share 'C'mon, Let's Play' content, including commercial clips, behind-the-scenes photos and video from the campaign shoot.

The strategy includes a cross-platform presence on desktop, mobile and tablet with premier placements on Hulu and Hulu Plus.

San Francisco – Specialty cosmetics retailer BareMinerals is opening a pop-up “Shade Shop” in the SoHo neighborhood of New York, Aug. 1 to Aug. 2. The assortment is merchandised by shade family – light, medium, tan, dark and deep – in a streamlined, easy-to-navigate environment.

The store will also feature a rotating color bar. Designed as a playground to test new concepts, BareMinerals will refresh the shop seasonally, with the first transformation taking place in November.

Grapevine, Texas – The GameStop Technology Institute (GTI) business unit of GameStop has entered into strategic partnerships with iBeacon solution providers Shelfbucks and BestFit Mobile, as well as social media hub provider Dynamic Signal. The partnership with Shelfbucks and BestFit will bring Shelfbucks’ iBeacon platform and BestFit Mobile’s ProxDK solution into to its brick-and-mortar retail locations.

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.

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.

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.