The latest in "Blow Outs" and "Touch Ups"

Daniel Hersheson's Blow Out Bar at Topshop, Oxford Circus

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.
Topshop, as ever the UK's High Street fashion leader, does it again. Great idea, totally on brand, based out of a real consumer need.

Girls, especially girls with wavy/curly hair, struggle with their hair. I am aware that this might make me sound a bit of a bimbo, but it's a valid insight so I'm going to carry on! When we come out of the hairdressers we look and feel a million dollars, because our hair looks incredible. But most of us can't afford to get our hair done like that every week. In New York the weekly "blow out" is just something that women do without even thinking about. Salons are set up specially for this - they're quick and not expensive. Similar to New York's numerous nail bars.

Until now we've never had anything like this in London.

Topshop comes along, and in association with West End hair-dresser Daniel Hersheson, launch Hersheson's Blow Dry Bar. It's such a simple concept. 7 different styles (from Super Straight to hipster Wavy Gravy and the classic up-do Bardot), they all take 30 minutes and they all cost 19

Brilliant

Only downside is that Topshop have decided on a  No Appointment policy which means that you can wait for well over 1 hour and 10 minutes. And although my hair  did look great and  I received loads of complements at later on that night, my time would have been more happily spent  and profitably spent for Topshop shopping rather than waiting on line.

I gather that this is the start of a nationwide roll-out for Hershson and Topshop, but this could be used as a form of "Pop Up" retail for other fashion/beauty brands. The concept is aleady set to be a huge success.

Another great idea for the girls - on brand and based out of a real consumer insight:

Max Factor's Glamour Cab is out and about the streets of London this festive season. Another great and simple idea based out of a real insight. At this time of year girls, women, ladies rush from office to bar to party without really having the time or the place to apply their party make up. The Glamour Cab is the answer to this problem - complete with pink cushions, champagne and most importantly Ellen Bradley, Max Factor's senior make up artist, the cab not only drops you for free at your destination but you also get a quick make up "touch up". Reminds me of an idea that we pitched to Boots for one of their make up brands. Was a good idea when we pitched it and it has remained a good one now that another brand has decided to do it!

Interested to know if anyone has seen it/used it?

Comments

[Ally]

Hmm I'm not convinced that this would work for No7 - the great thing about Glamour doing this is that they can be impartial about the brands they recommend. It would feel like hijacking otherwise - use No7 or else! Murky territory, that one.

[amelia]

It was actually Max Factor, so it was a brand rather than a mag but think that your point about a Glamour (magazine) cab is a smart one - great way to bring the brand values of the magazine to life