Target is taking a unique approach to drive sales with a new digitally interactive art exhibit called Target Too that comes complete with an accompanying application.

The exhibit, in the New York neighborhood of Chelsea,  is for one week only and incorporates Target products into playful art pieces that participants can take pictures of and manipulate via the Target Too app. Users can also buy the items featured in the exhibit through the app.

“The Target team has been playing with this idea for several months with the goal of creating an engaging experience that merges Target products and technology in the Target gallery space,” said Amy Joiner, spokeswoman for Target, Minneapolis. “Inspired by social media, this experience brings some of our favorite products to life and allows guests to interact with them in new ways.”

Playing while shopping
A larger-than-life Target brand milk carton is featured in the exhibit knocked over spilling out kitchenware. On the app users can see a video that provides the background story of the spill showing virtual kittens knocking the carton over.

Interested consumers who are not at the exhibit can view a “live-feed” of the virtual kittens playing on the art piece. Users are also led to a page to shop Target’s kitchenware on the app.

App users who are at the exhibit can snap a picture of the piece “Pucker Up,” which is a pair of lips created from stacks of EOS lip balm and then manipulate the image on the app.

A large LEGO version of the Target mascot, Bullseye, can also be spotted at the exhibit.

Not only can attendees view this experiment but they can get involved through audio as well. The music playing at the gallery is displayed on the app, allowing users to vote on which mood of music they prefer. A track will be based on the amount of votes.

The retailer is known for its unique approach to marketing and sales. This art venture focuses on the “expect more” aspect of its motto and named Target Too for that reason.

It’s a snap
The goal of the exhibit is for its consumers to have fun while shopping and is another method of connecting with Target costumers.

Although this idea is great way for Target to connect with its consumers, the potential for social media hype could have been much greater.

However, this is not the first unconventional tactic that Target has deployed and it will not be the last.

The retailer is also driving product sales through colorful images on Twitter and Instagram with a high engagement rate. Targets social media accounts are full of aesthetically pleasing pictures featuring products it sells with a focus on color, especially on Instagram photographed in a unique way with bright hued backgrounds and text (see more).

A Target executive at eTail West 2015 last month in Palm Springs, CA, discussed the retailer’s challenges and successes in integrating mobile with the physical in-store experience and claimed that guests using its mobile app while shopping in a bricks-and-mortar store spend more than those that do not (see more).

This latest effort is another extension of Target’s outreach to customers and prospects via mobile.

“It’s a playful brand experiment, a new way to explore, play and interact with products through a design-meets-digital experience,” Target’s Ms. Joiner said. “We have been pleased with the guest response to Target Too so far and will continue to listen and learn from how they engage with the app and experience overall.”