Days before the release of The Emoji Movie, children in Boonton, New Jersey will attach expressive faces to sunflowers at Main Street Bloomery.
As everyone in the industry knows, flowers express emotions.
A flower shop in Boonton, New Jersey, is taking a very literal approach — an emoji-themed design class — to hammer home the message for consumers.
On Wednesday, July 26, two days before The Emoji Movie hits theaters, the staff at Main Street Bloomery will help children decorate the centers of sunflowers and mason jars with smiley, winky and kissy face graphics.
“A friend had asked me to make these for an end-of-the-year gift for a teacher,” said event coordinator Lauren Checke. “Then my six-year-old told me about the movie.” That got the wheels in her head turning, inspiring a simple but fun activity to entertain kids on a weekday afternoon.
Tapping into pop culture is a shrewd marketing move, said Nicole Reyhle, founder of Retail Minded, a company that shares best practices with independent retailers. “By responding to what’s going on in our media-obsessed, celebrity-drenched society, you can leverage what the media is doing and turn the craze toward your business,” she said.
Main Street Bloomery hosts design classes throughout the year for customer engagement. Many cater to women enjoying a “girls’ night out,” but the shop also schedules several for children in an effort to nurture a lifelong appreciation for flowers.
This one, priced at $20 per participant, includes lemonade and light snacks. “It’s best suited for kids between 5 and 10, but all ages are welcome,” Checke said.
