Creative studio puts fashionistas through pain with impossible Birkin claw machine

With fashionistas worldwide descending on New York for fashion week, creative studio Uncommon is offering a raw take on life in The Big Apple with an installation titled "Pain."

The centrepiece is a claw machine containing just one prize: a Hermès Birkin bag. True to its name, the game is unwinnable, designed to capture the frustration and unattainability that mirror the everyday “pain” of living in New York.

Ahead of the reveal, Uncommon teased locals with cheeky OOH ads across the city bearing the lines: “One priceless handbag you have zero chance of winning", "One sickeningly weak claw machine" and "One shop in Soho." Visuals featured faces pressed against glass, eyeing the elusive Birkin.

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In the subway, posters asked commuters “Want pain?” alongside a phone number and website link leading them to the installation’s location.

While the Birkin remains out of reach, visitors won’t leave empty-handed — merchandise including t-shirts, tote bags, hats, and stickers are available as tongue-in-cheek consolation prizes.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Uncommon for more details.

Closer to home, global design and brand agency Anak is spotlighting a different challenge with a climate-themed fashion showcase.

Running from 6 to 28 December, the exhibition features specially commissioned pieces co-created with international artists and designers, exploring how fashion can adapt to rising global temperatures.

The works tackle everyday heat-related challenges while sparking wider conversations about how design can help humanity cope with increasingly hotter conditions.

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