• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, October 31, 2013

L’Oréal Paris’s brand promise is to help make the world more beautiful, but normally it just does that by beautifying people. Beginning today, it will improve the look of the New York City subway system via an innovative digital out-of-home media campaign developed by R/GA.

The campaign, which utilizes a first-of-its-kind “intelligent vending experience” installed in New York’s Bryant Park subway station, will automatically detect the colors of a passerby's outfit, and select the most prominent and related color palettes to recommend which L’Oréal products match -- which can be purchased immediately, on-the-spot.

Here's how it works, according to the agency team: “When a woman approaches the L’Oréal Paris ‘Intelligent Color Experience,’ she sees her reflection in a full-length, well-lit mirror. She is then immersed in a world of color. Digital animations that represent her silhouette and the colors she is wearing appear alongside her reflection and suggest expertly-coordinated eye, lip and nail shade recommendations that ‘match’ or ‘clash’ her outfit. Women can experiment with a variety of personalized looks from L’Oréal Paris’ best-selling Colour Riche franchise, beloved for its luxurious formulas and rich shades. From the time the mirror scans a woman’s look to when the products are in her purse, the entire experience takes less than two minutes.”

Developed in partnership with CBS Outdoor, L’Oréal Paris will utilize the installation for two months.