Pinterest is testing real-life Pins that let shoppers save in-store items to their virtual boards.
The physical Pins are currently undergoing trials in Brazil in conjunction with the country’s biggest design furniture retailer, Tok&Stok.
As part of the campaign, the Bluetooth low energy-enabled Pins have been placed on hundreds of items for shoppers to interact with. All a person has to do is download Tok&Stok’s “Pinlist” app and then press down on the Pins in order to transfer their designated item to Pinterest.
The bright red Pins even carry the recognizable “Pin it” slogan that was a former staple of the platform, before they are replaced with the more accessible “save” button.
According to the promo clip above, the Pins are powered by a lithium battery and can even save items to your virtual board if your phone is on standby thanks to Bluetooth Smart tech.
The concept is credited to Brazilian design agency DM9DDB, which has also worked on projects with a host of other international clients. “The innovation is in the app’s easy and intuitive use and all the technology backing it up, so that you don’t have to leave the app open or pair your cellphone’s Bluetooth with the physical button,” Igor Puga, vice president for integration and innovation at DM9DDB, told Adweek.
Pinterest’s head of brand strategy, Kevin Knight, had the following to say about the campaign: “For Tok&Stok to say ‘you can walk around this store and get inspired and save that inspiration somewhere online, where you can take action on it when you’re ready to,’ is … one of the greatest examples of in-store and online integration.”
Retail brands are increasingly seeking ways to connect their offline merchandise with their online presence. In the past, Ralph Lauren introduced Oak Labs’ smart mirrors to its Polo flagship store on Fifth Avenue, which — among other things — could send an item summary to your phone via text message. Additionally, Burberry recently introduced Snapchat codes on its Mr. Burberry range of men’s grooming products, allowing you to connect with its promo clips on the app.
