Target’s new Instagrammable collaboration is a sweet deal

Between Macy’s acquisition of the experiential retailer, STORY, and Westfield’s hiring of Tony-winning Broadway producer Scott Sanders, it seems that the future of a store may not be a store at all.

Last week, the retail industry added another example to this list with the announcement of Target’s historic collaboration with the Museum of Ice Cream, a viral interactive art installation that is sweeping the nation.

If you haven’t been to a Made-for-Instagram Museum or “Selfie factory” before, they are temporary activations founded by and designed for Millennials, complete with dozens of “photo-ops” that pay homage to a carefully curated theme. Aside from ice cream, other museums have focused on Colors, Selfies, Feelings and Candy to name just a few.

The Museum of Ice Cream’s newest concept, the “Pint Shop,” abandons the museum vibe and embraces the store. Opening June 6 in New York’s Meatpacking District, the shop reimagines the grocery store. Don’t worry though, unlike Amazon Go or Eataly, this hyper-sensory experience is only temporary, allowing visitors to explore life-size pint installations, browse aisles filled with the museum’s limited-edition ice cream flavors and even reserve a table for a one-of-kind tasting experience.

So, what’s in it for Target? In addition to snagging exclusivity rights to The Pint Shop, Target is profiting off of the brand by creating a limited-edition kids’ apparel and accessories line as well as selling the brand’s ice creams in 300 of its stores all summer long. The Pint Shop gets Target’s distribution and merchandising expertise while the retailer gets the Museum of Ice Cream’s social prowess along with a percentage of sales.

“We want guests to experience a true sense of joy when they’re shopping at Target, and one way we do this is through partnerships we think they’ll love,” said Mark Tritton, executive VP and chief merchandising officer, Target. “Between our shared values of joy, creativity, focus on design and unique experiences, this partnership allows us to give guests a taste of Museum of Ice Cream’s signature aesthetic, right at their local Target store and on Target.com, this summer.”

With one Webby Award, 389K followers and hundreds of thousands of tickets under the Museum of Ice Cream’s belt, Target guarantees virality by joining forces with this cultural phenomena. There is, however, a caution. Just like sponsored ads in our social feeds, too many collaborations can quickly turn into spam.