The world’s most famous Grand Slam tennis tournament steeped in history and prestige kicked off yesterday, and Wimbledon will be beamed to tennis fans around the world.
In celebration of this significant event, Polo Ralph Lauren eyewear – part of EssilorLuxottica brands portfolio – unveils the new Polo Ralph Lauren X Wimbledon collection of sunglasses. To accompany the new collection, the iconic brand launch Magic Mirror’, an immersive retail experience installed at the heart of London’s flagship Heathrow Airport for the duration of the tournament.
Created by international entertainment studio, Studio of Art & Commerce, the 5sq m experience is situated in the Duty-Free retail space in Terminal 3 of Britain’s busiest airport. Visitors are invited to try on the Polo Ralph Lauren X Wimbledon collection of sunglasses (five in the collection), and as they instinctively check themselves in the mirror, the airport disappears from their reflection, and they find themselves transported into the iconic world of Wimbledon. Watching a game at Centre Court, mooching around the historic grounds and hanging out in the exclusive lounges are just some of the experiences available. Visitors take a photo in the scenery, receive a QR code and once scanned then get their image to share on their channels.
The floor is printed with the striped grass of Wimbledon’s meticulous lawns, the surfaces of the wall structure display textures of the iconic Boston Ivy that covers the walls of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) Centre Court buildings, whilst the stock tables containing the sunglasses reference the slatted partition walls that surround Wimbledon’s famous courts.
Polo Ralph Lauren is the Official Outfitters of The Championships at Wimbledon, dressing the ballpeople, line umpires, and chair umpires. The iconic fashion brand first designed the Wimbledon uniforms in 2006 as a partner with the All England Lawn Tennis Club, adding a sense of heritage style and craft to performance-focused designs.
Fraser Brown, retail director, Heathrow Airport, commented: “We’re delighted we have this immersive retail experience at Heathrow Terminal 3, to entertain our passengers while they browse what’s on offer at the airport.
The ‘Magic Mirror’ installation aligns with Heathrow’s four retail pillars of Digital, Experience, Space and Offer – using innovative technology to provide memorable experiences in a clever tight space, whilst offering products at great prices.”
Heide Cohu, CEO & founder, Studio of Art & Commerce, added: “We’re very excited to have created this brand new immersive experience with a beautiful brand in a very high profile location.
Our aim was to provide a joyful moment of entertainment in people’s busy lives, magically transporting them to the heart of The Wimbledon Championships, at the AELTC, whilst in the middle of a busy airport terminal. A celebration of Ralph Lauren’s long-standing partnership with the Club.”
The installation will run for the duration tournament and will continue until July 26th.
