LA is known for many things. Beaches, botox, actors, sunshine, shopping and our newest “landmark” – according to many Angelenos – the pink wall. This new destination spot is painted onto the side on Paul Smith off Melrose Avenue, a popular shopping street.
As a blogger/digital influencer, I feel the need to share relevant and real content and the pink wall has been a running joke amongst friends and colleagues for months. We laugh when we pass the hectic pink wall swarming with all types of people taking selfies while the security guard sits there contemplating mankind and attempting to keep things under control. But, on the other hand, I get it, the wall is perfect Insta-bait.
Recently, a few friends and I spent an hour videoing this consistent, daily situation to show just how serious people take this. It’s comical how something so simple can attract so many people from all over the world, but hey, I’m guilty. A project I would love to work on would be to interview the security guard who is tasked with making sure photo-takers don’t get run over by cars in the small parking lot and enforcing their lax no-DSLR-cameras rule. He probably has stories for days and a lot of content for @overheardla.
Every single day, after 2 PM, the wall is consistently 80 percent full. Tourists, friend groups, couples, bloggers, Youtubers, you name it – they all travel to this wall for the photos.
The typical pink wall story goes like this: A few friends seek to get a new Instagram/Tumblr/Facebook/Youtube/dating profile photo, they drive to the pink wall, a friend takes a photo of their friend, they try various poses, look at the photos, are unsatisfied and/or want more options, giggle, take more photos from different angles, offer to take someone else’s photo so that they can ask them to take one of them together so they can avoid a selfie and get their full outfits, leave, post the photo on Instagram with a deep and meaningful quote, and then wait for everyone to like their “original” and “trendy” content. Such as this photo below. Pink wall + flowers = easy Instagram content.
My favorite part about the pink wall, besides taking videos of people taking selfies and asking the security guard to take their photo then being rejected, is Carrera Cafe across the street. It’s one of my favorite spots to work on my laptop and enjoy a nice cold brew. Carrera Cafe made sure to create a very Instagram perfect environment as well with chic marble counters, neon signs, succulents, graphic tile and their famous latte art. Plus you get the entertainment across the street when you feel like daydreaming and giggling for a minute. It’s the best of both worlds.
This wall is the most Instagrammed wall in Los Angeles. And yet, very few of these photo-takers even know what Paul Smith is. However, the brand awareness is climbing up amongst the younger demographic and this is a great way to market and target millennials who are the future buyers. Paul Smith is able to give the community an experience, even if they do not receive a direct return right away. The pink wall has been here for over 10 years – way before “Millennial” and “Instagram” were even terms – so this social media phenomenon really worked in their favor.
This topic to me is still hilarious, because we travel to a fucking wall to take photos like it’s our Eiffel Tower. Paul Smith, you are a genius and ahead of your time my friend. Kudos. To everyone else, let’s push our creative boundaries, create unique content, and stop taking profile photos at the pink wall.
PS. I love Paul Smith for keeping it authentic and not following trends. They are actually trend setters who created an original experience without even trying. As a designer, I have learned to appreciate brands who really make their own lane and don’t copy other brands. THANK YOU.