Pop Star Olivia Rodrigo Makes Live Appearance At LA Target Store, But Does So From NYC … Using Transparent LCD Tech

April 1, 2024 by Dave Haynes

I have my doubts about some of the use-cases I have seen for those shower stall-like transparent LCD box thingies marketed by Proto and a growing number of other companies you might say were “inspired” by the hologram-ish tech the LA company cooked up. But here’s a recent project that I think works well … for at least a couple of reasons.

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo did a personal appearance and met with fans at a Target store in LA, without leaving New York. She was lit and video-captured in a studio in one coast and live-streamed to the store, which sells merchandise carrying the singer’s brand.

Here’s why I think it works, beyond the baseline advantage of Rodrigo and her handlers not needing to get on a plane and fly to LA to do the appearance …

• The shower stall is somewhat nested with the store fixtures, so it fits in more with the surroundings – versus a big powder-coated box plopped on a stage. Putting her on a director’s chair also helps, versus having here standing there and gesturing.
• The connection was fast enough to enable real one to one interaction with waiting fans, so they could ask questions and get immediate responses.

The virtual appearances thing makes a bunch of sense for putting in-demand people in front of audiences without all the travel, though the arrangements, set-up and tear-down for these pop-ups things would be quite involved and expensive.

This post on X has a video of the set-up and interactions …

Olivia Rodrigo surprises fans with a virtual Q&A at a Target in Westwood. pic.twitter.com/swTUfVUdlg

— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 8, 2023