Huit Denim’s jeans factory takes fan requests with new #HuitMusic box
Hiut Denim has launched a new 'Internet of Things' product - #HiutMusic - that combines Raspberry Pi, Twitter and Spotify technology to connect its factory in Wales with fans of the brand all over the world.
Hiut enlisted creative technology agency Knit to build a product that automatically plays the music tracks that have been requested by fans of the brand via a #hiutmusic Twitter hashtag. The in-factory box acts as a smart radio for the factory and has a button that allows the Hiut 'Grandmasters' to automatically tweet and ‘like' the requested track. The Hiut logo on the box illuminates in one of four colours when a new track starts playing, with the colours representing how far the tweeter making the request is from the factory.
Based in Cardigan, Wales, the independent jeans maker was founded by David and Clare Hieatt to employ 400 local world-class makers who had lost their previous jobs with the closure of UK’s largest jeans factory. Each pair of Huit Denim jeans is unique, hand-made and signed by a ‘Grandmaster’.
David Hieatt said: “We have always believed that you can’t make great jeans without good music. Knit’s idea to build an Internet of Things product that uses music to link the guys creating the jeans with their fans all over the world was genius! They’ve produced something that allows our customers to interact with our factory in a unique and personal way.”
Nick Thompson, founding partner of Knit said: “Hiut have a culture where brave ideas are allowed to fly. Plus they have an inspiring story that resonates with its community of loyal customers. When Hiut described the relationship that great music has to the creation of their jeans we were inspired to think creatively about how this could be used with new technologies to build further connections with brand advocates.
“By adding an Internet of Things element to social, we were able to build a solution that merges digital music, with social media buzz and further opportunities for brand amplification. HiutMusic will positively impact the business through the ‘feel good’ interactions it encourages between happy and passionate customers and the guys creating the magic in the factory on the far western edge of Wales."
Knit is owned by experience design agency Foolproof.
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