Get Your Fashion Advice From Apple Store Employees!
Prospective Apple Watch buyers will get 15 minutes of hands-on time with the new device while being guided by an Apple employee. Those employees are being asked to comment on the device’s appearance based on a customer’s outfit, saying things like “you seem to have a fun style. I think the Pink Sport band would make your style perfectly,” or “the white strap looks great on you.”
I’m glad I don’t live near an Apple Store, because this kind of hard sell makes my skin crawl. It’s almost insultingly snap-judgmental to have some complete stranger who’s known you for five seconds start blathering about “your style.” But I understand that’s the nature of the game when it comes to hawking haute (or faux haute) luxury.
The biggest problem Apple faces with this strategy is that the employees offering the advice are all dressed like characterless drones. Apple Store uniforms aren’t exactly stylish or personally expressive, and I’m not sure why anyone would take seriously any fashion suggestions from folks dressed like this:
Apple could, of course, solve the problem to some degree by having different — and more variable — dress codes for the team selling Apple Watch specifically, but even then, the overall mood of the Apple Store itself would conflict with said team’s projected image. It almost feels like Apple Watch requires its own stores for the mid-tier and Edition collections, leaving the most basic Sport versions available where all other Apple products are sold.
Of course, I’m going to avoid the dog and pony show altogether and order Apple Watch from a computer in the middle of the night.
In my underwear.