In the fall of 2008, Uniqlo announced the introduction of “HeatTech” moisture absorbent exothermic wear in overseas markets.

We focused on the fact that HeatTech is the culmination of Japan’s advanced technology and used it as the basis of our creative idea. We redesigned a vending machine into a futuristic “Human Vending Machine.” When a consumer pushes the button, performers in HeatTech body suites start moving in a robot-like manner and send the merchandise to the slot.The “Human Vending Machine” left Japan and made a month-long tour of five major cities in the world, New York, London, Paris, Beijing and Seoul.

We also turned loose “HeatTech Men” wearing futuristic silver body suits, who measured the body temperature of passers-by with a thermograph and leading them to the Human Vending Machine whenever they found someone with low temperature.

By setting up the Human Vending Machine in the areas that drew big crowds, such as Times Square in New York City, the machine created a great rush of people who wanted to operate it themselves. In every city, 4,000 pieces of free HeatTech wear distributed via the Human Vending Machine “sold out” in several hours.

This unprecedented event was publicized by an innumerable number of media in all the countries where the event took place, and instantly became the biggest news in the fashion world. As a result, the sale of HeatTech exploded worldwide and the month after the promotional event, Uniqlo recorded its highest-ever profits.