Google Glass has got an image problem before even going on sale- but can a new partnership with RayBan make the augmented reality eyewear shake off its ‘Glasshole’ connotations? Tunde Cockshott, creative consultant at marketing and technology consultancy, Amaze, discusses the potential of Google Glass as it looks to fuse fashion with technology.
As soon as Google announced their Glass device people have talked about how it looks. It looks straight out of a sci-fi movie, a device to be worn by cyborgs, or geeks. A device that tries to be subtle but actually draws attention to itself both in its appearance and how people interact with it.
For wearables to succeed I outlined four challenges they have to overcome, utility, affordability, ease of use and status/fashion. They have to move from having a visual design, which makes them look too geeky and appeal to the mainstream. What we wear is an expression of how we want the world to see ourselves. The fashion industry benefits in billions of pounds for our never ending quest to present our selves in a way which fits our inner desires to fit in, stand out, be part of one tribe or another or to be an individual. Appearance is even more critical when we consider jewelry and items, which sit on or close to our face. If I walk into my local optician’s I am presented with hundreds of different designs to choose from. A face-mounted technology which only comes in one design is asking a lot of its wearers.
Google have always known that the appearance of the device has to adapt. The current devices are just for a very select few developers and evangelists. Designers have been developing concept rendering of how a fashionable version might look. One of the best is from Sourcebits. In July 2013 they proposed this Ray-ban’s inspired adaptation. The technology almost disappears into the frame and is not the focus of attention, rather the classic styling of the Ray-ban Wayfarer design is what you see.
Some six months later Google offered their first foray into what a fashion version of Glass might look like. In this case, although there was no official connection the inspiration came from Warby Parker design style.
Unfortunately the results were not as attractive as those by Sourcebits. Maybe it was because they were working within the known constraints of the real technology, or perhaps because it was only an exercise. Either way I thought these missed the mark. We can still see nice glasses but in this case the tech just appears to be bolted on top. There is no integration or attempt to shift from the balance from tech to fashion.
Recently it has been announced that Ray-Ban makers Luxottica have a strategic partnership with Google to produce a new line of Google Glass. Lets hope they can get the balance right. The new partnership will marry two very different brands. Google is all about information delivered at the point of need through technology. With Google Now and Glasses this delivery is seemless, instantaneous and often automated. It is a respected tech giant. It is a clever move to align with such an iconic all American brand.
Ray-bans are one of the defining style brands of the 20th century. Originally the marketing had used style icons, celebrities and film stars to promote the iconic nature of the brand.
In 2007 Ray-Ban changed direction, the marketing message shifted to images of styish and hip, but real people. The global campaign “Never Hide” has been running ever since. The message was not using the glasses to present a barrier to the rest of society but as an expression of our true self. The wearer is confident, unique and the glasses are an important facilitating element in this identity. Still iconic and cool, but more personal, sexy and believable than suburban celebrity mimicry.
Never Hide seems a perfect fit with the ethos of the Glass wearer. Tech early adopters will embrace this message as a validation of their product choice. Fashion hipsters will want to come along for the ride.
However if they cannot make the technology fit the fashion, if they get the visual balance wrong or the stylistic emphasis is miss-aligned then the task will be much harder. Wearing Ray-Bans which also provide contextural information and alerts etc, is less socially threatening than wearing cyborg wear.
By Tunde Cockshott
Creative Consultant
Amaze
www.Amaze.com