“That’s dopey,” as my 17-year old nephew would say if he thinks something is cool.

(Photo courtesy of Girbaud)

Three realistic mannequins, wearing clothes from Marithé + François Girbaud’s Fall 2003 collection were put on hand trucks and pushed by 3 male models wearing an all-white overalls strolled around the Soho area, passing out mini maps to the Marithé + François Girbaud store located at 47 Wooster Street.

Rita Cruz was one surprised, yet intrigued onlooker who was handed a mini map to the Girbaud Store.

“I never would have gone this extra block if these cute kids didn’t hand me a map,” she says, “This really is something different!”

(Photo courtesy of Girbaud)

To help out the mannequins, two cyclists, also dressed in Marithé + François Girbaud Fall 2003 clothes, cycled around Soho, also passing out mini maps.

The marketing gimmick was a success, driving much foot traffic to the Marithé + François Girbaud store, especially on Sunday.

For those of you who missed it, the mannequins in hand trucks will be on display at their usual place --- the store window of Marithé + François Girbaud flagship store at Soho.

This innovative use of mannequins was conceived by furniture designer Phil Nutley who exhibits his own line of contemporary furniture and products at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York.

A prolific artist, his work has been featured in Blueprint, Surface, Nylon, City, Interni, Vizyon Dekoraysion and Australian Style magazines.

As for visual merchandising, Phil Nutley just broke new ground in visual merchandising by bringing the store window to the streets, literally.

Another new concept was using hand trucks as mannequin stands.