American Eagle Gives Customers Taste of Fame

by lisa ~ November 5, 2009

Nov. 5, 2009 - Where Howard Johnsons once served up fried clam strips and hot coffee, apparel chain American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is opening its 25,000 square foot flagship store in New York’s Times Square on Nov. 19. The timing is perfect - one week before Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and the kick-off of the Christmas shopping season.

To encourage purchases, not just gawking, the company will be projecting customers’ photos onto a 15,000 square foot, 25-story screen outside the store, according to its press release. This “15 Seconds of Fame” “customer experience” is the perfect draw for tween, teens, and 20-somethings who want to be, well, famous.

“What will Americans pay for their 15 seconds of fame? American Eagle Outfitters is betting at least the price of a T-shirt,” wrote the Wall Street Journal.

The store, in a space formerly occupied by the orange-themed restaurant at 1551 Broadway at 46th Street, features four levels of shopping, including items only available at that particular location.

On an average day, about 500,000 people per day may walk through Times Square. As long as this promotion continues, that figure may increase.

The PR value of the store opening is truly incalculable. Not only will it generate massive foot traffic during the next two months but it is also attracting intense media coverage ranging from Page Six to USA Today.

Whatever else it has done, American Eagle has certainly raised the bar for other store openings in New York.

Lisa Tibbitts is the principal of Tibbitts Creative, a public relations and marketing service that emphasizes corporate communications. She has an extensive background in financial services and an MBA in marketing. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FinancialPR.

###