Samsung Electronics America Inc. [1] this week announced the opening of Samsung 837 [2], a first-of-its kind cultural destination, digital playground and Marketing Center of Excellence, in the heart of the Meatpacking District of New York City.
[3]Black Egg Installation
Open to the general public, the living lab and digital playground featuring numerous installations and touchpoints cover three floors and include: a one-of-kind digital screen, auditorium seating for performances and special events, a Gallery featuring curated content experiences, a broadcast studio, and much more. The state-of-the-art building is a creative expression of Samsung’s brand and will serve as home for the marketing center of excellence, executive briefing center and a new customer care center designed to offer one-on-one service to Samsung owners.
“We set out to build a marketing center of excellence,” says Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics America. “We immediately thought of New York City, where the best marketing happens and where people have a finger on the pulse of culture. As a result, we have and will continue to attract top talent from around the world.”
[4]VR Tunnel
Samsung 837 also provides an opportunity for the public to experience Samsung technology, signature services and culture through special events. Samsung is partnering with its neighbors in the Meatpacking District, like the Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as artists, scientists, thought leaders and others, driving culture today to create compelling programming. The building will also serve the community as a center for supporting great causes.
“At Samsung, we have a proven track record of innovation, and with Samsung 837, we are creating the flagship of the future,” says Zach Overton, vice- president and general manager of Samsung 837. “Reimagining the traditional store experience, 837 is a fully immersive cultural center, featuring programming which will tap into people’s passions such art, music, entertainment, sports, wellness, culinary, technology and fashion, all powered and enriched by technology.”
[5]The screen and main stage
As an experiential centre blurring the lines between live and static experiences, Samsung 837 presents dynamic, immersive programming powered by technology that will continually evolve to reflect pop culture and important cultural moments such as awards shows, national sporting events, worldwide concert tours, and much more.
To mark the opening of the flagship, ABC’s Good Morning America [6] has been broadcasting live, exclusively at Samsung 837. In the first two weeks of opening, Samsung 837 isl featuring exclusive programming including live DJs, Oscar-nominated movie screenings (The Martian, Inside Out, Shaun the Sheep and Cinderella), and a private Oscar viewing party. With Samsung+, the free mobile app exclusive to Galaxy owners, users have fast access to live tech support, and additional perks available at Samsung 837, including access to premium events and experiences.
[7]The Living Room and Product Display
Samsung 837 is a haven for unique, ongoing programming with interactive opportunities, including:
- Customer Care: Samsung Techies offer one-on-one, concierge-like service to help Samsung owners, and Samsung Guides lead workshops for new and existing users to learn how to get the most out of Samsung products and services. In addition, Guides are on hand to support the visitor journey through the space.
- Screen & Mainstage: Probably the world’s largest multimedia display, a giant digital screen is made from 96 55”visual displays, standing in front of a stadium-seating theater. It will be programmed with content ranging from live streams, demos and showcases, to panels and presentations, and screenings.
- The Gallery: A space that will feature regularly commissioned technology-based art installations. The launch ‘Social Galaxy’, a hyper-immersive and mind-bending exploration of social identity by experiential design studio Black Egg. This installation brings new perspective to who we are as individuals and social beings.
- VR Tunnel: A first of its kind immersive experience where attendees can ‘step into’ a virtual world and be transported anywhere. The experience will feature ongoing curated content around themes like travel, sports and family, or special events like festivals, sports and music, and demonstrations on Samsung’s Gear VR including a 4D VR experience.
- Studio: The visually stunning, open radio, music and DJ studio, encased in a see-through cube, serves as an interactive hosting space for radio and podcast curators, DJ sets, live recordings, celebrity interviews and more.
- Kitchen: Experience a next-gen culinary environment with chef demonstrations of new Samsung technology, workshops and cooking showcases.
- Playroom: A dedicated space for family-friendly activities including classes and workshops, games, special events and activities, and a place where people can share their interests and engage with the environment. Consumers will also have the opportunity to create their own customized cases in the Playroom area.
- Living Room: Get cozy in this stress-free zone, where consumers can experience Samsung technology and signature services in a smart home environment, as well as enjoy hosted activities, and more.
- Café: Curated by Smorgasburg and featuring Stand Coffee, the Café features hot and cold beverages, breakfast and lunch selections, as well as a variety of sweet treats from purveyors of the popular food market.
- B2B Experience: A state-of-the-art executive briefing center designed to deliver curated and customized experiences for the B2B community; providing the latest technologies and innovations to customers for use in solving real business problems with their own customers.
[8]The Studio
Samsung 837’s location in the Meatpacking District is an area of cultural vibrance, renowned for being a hub of activity, creativity, trend and forward thinking. With 837, Samsung plans to make a positive contribution to the Meatpacking District and larger city of New York, through partnership and access, together with neighborhood businesses, that help further enrich the community. Samsung’s commitment as a positive and responsible corporate citizen reflects a purpose that defines success not only in business but in doing good across the U.S. – from local neighborhoods to cities nationwide.
Local partnerships are already in place with:
- Rag & Bone – the New York-based fashion label to design wardrobe elements for the staff at Samsung 837;
- Smorgasburg – the Brooklyn-based open-air market to curate the Samsung 837 café menu featuring breakfast and lunch selections, as well as a variety of sweet treats from purveyors of the popular food market including Rubyzaar, Ovenly, Big Mozz, Good Stock, Dough, and more;
- Stand Coffee – the local specialty coffee company to provide hot and cold beverages for the café;
- Black Egg and Kenzo Digital – the New York-based experiential design studio founded by artist/director Kenzo Digital and creative technologist Lucas Werthein. Black Egg specializes in immersive storytelling in physical spaces utilizing cutting edge technologies.
Located at 837 Washington Street, Samsung 837 is the first of its kind technology playground and cultural destination for consumers, creators, tech enthusiasts and community members. A physical manifestation of the Samsung Brand, 837 is a flagship experience center at the convergence of humanity and technology that underscores how Samsung’s full portfolio of signature services and technology – ranging from mobile devices to home appliances – can make lives better.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.