I was driving around over the weekend, exploring my new neighborhood in LA when something bright and futuristic caught my eye. It was the BP gas station on the corner of Robertson and Olympic. The station was covered by an oddly shaped canopy made out of shiny triangles of stainless steel. Lights that changed colors were projected onto the stainless steel panels filling the station with beautiful ambient lights. Gasoline was priced the same as other stations nearby, but the cutting edge design made it stand out from its competitors. Turns out, this is the nation’s first LEED certified green gas station.

Dubbed the Helios House, it is part of BP’s retail innovation initiative designed to increase customer loyalty and drive up sales. Here are some highlights of the LEED certified station:

- The stainless steel canopy is completely recyclable
- 90 solar panels on the canopy produce the amount of annual energy needed to power two to three average American homes
- LED lighting is used throughout the site, focusing light where it’s needed and using less energy to get the same brightness
- A green roof above the restrooms is covered in local plants and grasses that reduce the need for heating and cooling inside the restrooms
- Rainwater from the canopy is collected, filtered and reused for onsite irrigation
- The bathroom tile is made of 100 percent recycled glass
- Motion sensors reduce energy waste by switching off lights when not in use
- Material from the old site was reused during construction

BP calls Helios House a “living laboratory” that uses green, eco-friendly innovations to give consumers a little better station experience.

On Friday, Samsung introduced its latest wireless marvel, the Instinct phone–and marvelous it is. The company is known for introducing quality phones, but with the debut of the iPhone, Samsung and the entire industry were set back on their heels. Not for long, it seems. This new phone is Samsung’s haptic touch screen retort to Apple’s hand candy. While the Instinct is similar to iPhone in many ways, its new force feedback feature is completely unexpected and delightful.

Force feedback is not new. It was first introduced through video games years ago. It’s the rumble you felt through the steering wheel, when you trashed exotic racecars on your PC. Now thoughtfully reapplied, the Instinct brings back a wonderful tactile feedback that emulates the gentle clicking of a roulette wheel, as you scroll through your contact list. You have to feel it, to believe it.

In order to bring the complete vision for the Sprint Studio to life, Sprint and Continuum partnered with their photographer Ron Eshel and German light artists from Lichtfaktor. Working collaboratively in two adjacent photography studios, the team captured both lifestyle photography as well as time lapse imagery of actual light in motion. The resulting images help to elevate the Sprint Studio above the status quo and engage the consumer in a truly amazing retail experience.

Check out this light art. Really amazing stuff.

I just returned from something that is new in the world of brand experience–the opening of the new Sprint Studio Store in Kansas City, a project we have worked closely with Sprint and other design partners on for over two years. The store is located in the “up and coming” neighborhood of Kansas City called the Power and Light District.

The turnout has been amazing, there’s a huge buzz. Why are people so interested in these studio and concept stores? It’s all about experience, and a store like this provides a new one for consumers. Not just for the wireless industry, but for retail in general.

These stores are first and foremost great for consumers—they provide that neighborhood feel and sense of belonging, they provide a very cool place to play, talk with customer service, and check out new products and capabilities. It is an invitation to become something special and unique.

These studio store and concept experience type endeavors are also great for brands; to engender brand loyalty and drive purchase decisions, to increase the mental and emotional footprint of a brand to a community and an audience.

While previous retail stores are generally “experiential” in name only (i.e. Samsung Experience Store, Verizon Experience Store), the Sprint Studio delivers a true experience to consumers by presenting the innovation behind the Sprint brand in fresh, new and exciting ways.

And if you are in Kansas City-stop by.