KISSES AND MAKEUP: Burberry is ready for its close-up, thanks to a new technology that allows users to kiss their touchscreens and send their love around the world. The brand has teamed with Google for a project aimed at adding a dose of emotion to technology. Burberry Kisses, a site that allows users to send virtual kisses around the globe — and follow the journey to their destination — will launch today. The service is free and the site isn’t selling anything, although users do have the option to slick their lips — virtually speaking — with a choice of five shades from the Burberry Beauty range.
“We’re constantly thinking about how we translate the emotion of what we create and experience in the real world into the digital space, whether that’s capturing the energy and excitement of a live gig, the hum and buzz of anticipation before a runway show, or just the feeling you get when you pull on your trenchcoat on a rainy morning,” said Christopher Bailey, the brand’s chief creative officer. He said Burberry Kisses began with the idea of “giving technology a bit of heart and soul and using it to unite the Burberry family across the world — by telling a story that makes the digital personal.”
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Burberry has created a dedicated platform, Kisses.burberry.com, that works with Google Chrome and mobile phones. Users, who can also send a smooch via the Burberry Web site, can use a Web cam to capture an image of their lips or simply pucker up to their touchscreen device. They also have the option to add a personalized message and pick a lipstick color.
The sender can then follow the kiss envelope to its destination via a Google Earth and Street View technology — with images enhanced by Burberry’s creative team — and watch it be delivered. Maps on the site will show the latest kisses moving around the world and which cities are getting the most action.
There is a dedicated soundtrack, “Evergreen Love” by Misty Miller, who also recorded the soundtrack for the Burberry Body Tender ad campaign. The videos shown in Burberry Kisses are of Charlotte Wiggins and Rob Pryor.