Burberry launches virtual replica of Tokyo flagship store

Burberry has linked with Elle Digital Japan to create an interactive virtual replica of the British luxury label’s flagship in Ginza, Tokyo.

Customers will be able to explore the three-floor digital store using icons on their screens to navigate, purchasing items from Burberry’s Spring/Summer 2021 collection as they go.

Just like the physical store, which Burberry opened at the exclusive Ginza Marronnierthe building back in 2019, the ground floor will be dedicated to signature bags including the Olympia, the Pocket and the Lola Bags, while the first and second floors will offer womenswear and menswear, respectively.

Burberry and Elle Digital Japan have also collaborated with actress Elaiza Ikeda to create a film of five short styling tips, accessible at touchpoints throughout the virtual store.

The digital experience is available for one month from March 19 to April 18 on Elle Japan and Ellegirl Digital Japan.

It comes after Burberry last year opened the doors of what it describes as “luxury’s first social retail store” in Shenzhen, China. The 5,800-square-foot store is split into 10 rooms for customers to explore and interact with both physically and digitally by using a dedicated WeChat ‘mini program’. Shoppers use the app to earn social currency as they move through the store, which they can use to access exclusive content and personalised experiences.

Burberry has increasingly been playing with this idea of mixing the physical and digital worlds in recent years, a theme that the luxury industry in particular is becoming hyper-focused on as the sector explores new ways to engage with its tech-savvy customers.

Burberry explored this theme through a campaign last year that juxtaposed a video of CGI digital avatars - one of which was Kendall Jenner - with a set of photo self-portraits shot by Jenner.

The brand has also released a series of digital games allowing users to win both virtual and physical rewards.

Image: Burberry