Crocs, J.D. Sports join Afterpay, Snap for AR-based Fashion Week promo
A leading “buy now, pay later platform” is creating an immersive, augmented reality (AR)-based shopping experience with products from Crocs and J.D. Sports, coinciding with New York Fashion Week.
Afterpay is transforming its “Dropshop” digital limited-edition drop program into an omnichannel shopping experience. Kicking off Sep. 7 and 8, the company will release two limited-edition drops in New York City’s Times Square featuring physical and digital items from Crocs and J.D. Sports.
Crocs and social media star Bretman "Da Baddest'' Rock will reveal an exclusive collection of Jibbitz charms, available in limited pre-release quantities at the Times Square Dropshop experience. The Crocs x Bretman Rock five-pack of Jibbitz charms are inspired by a love of crystals, stars and reflective materials. Customers can use Snapchat to virtually try the Jibbitz charms on a pair of Black Classic Crocs as early as Sep. 1st, via a new Afterpay Snapchat Lens.
[Read more: Snapchat introduces virtual shopping tools]
Meanwhile, J.D. Sports commissioned multi-disciplinary artist Glassface (Josh Goldenberg) to create a rare digital art non-fungible token (NFT) that will be available to the public for the first time, in a limited run of only 50 NFTs created.
[Read more: Three reasons retailers find NFTs nifty]
In addition, starting Sep. 1, Afterpay and Snap will take iconic New York objects and illuminate them, scattered around key locations in Manhattan, such as a taxi, a fire hydrant and a food truck. Each object will have a Snapchat snapcode that will unlock an immersive AR 3D map in Snapchat that reveals the Dropshop location, along with several other exclusive points of interest for the New York Fashion Week program that Afterpay is hosting for consumers.
From within the immersive Dropshop environment, customers can activate the Snapchat AR try-on-experiences and tap to buy directly from their mobile phone. Quantities are limited and available for sale until items sell out.
"We're thrilled to expand our New York Fashion Week footprint to shoppers in Times Square,” said Nick Molnar, co-founder and co-CEO of Afterpay. “This Dropshop experience is just another way we are bringing the excitement of New York Fashion Week, and all of its creativity, to consumers with this amazing in real life, immersive experience."
"Fashion and apparel have always been at the forefront of immersive AR commerce, and Afterpay's Dropshop is helping propel the industry forward," said Nina Mishkin, director of creative strategy, Snap Inc. "Together at this year's New York Fashion Week, Afterpay, Crocs, J.D., and Snap are truly leveraging augmented reality to create innovative brand experiences, that ultimately take the traditional experiential to the next level."
"When I bought my first pair of Crocs, I never thought I'd have my own Crocs collaboration. Now here I am launching my Bretman Rock X Jibbitz charms at Dropshop in New York City. It's a dream," said Crocs ambassador and collaborator Bretman Rock. "These Jibbitz charms represent me, my style and my loves – turtles, pearls and all things shiny – and they go with anything. I can't wait to see everyone rocking da baddest Bretman Rock X Crocs on their feet!