Using social media tools like Twitter and Foursquare to locate people who are geographically proximate to you, so that you can message them to offer a gift which is ready for pick-up ASAP at a store just down the block?  I’m going to Kirsten Wiig-out!!!

Dianne Von Furstenberg may not be the firsten to exercise this third-wall breaking phenomenon, but the idea implemented to soft-launch her new fragrance and promote the annual Fashion’s Night Out is beyond appealing.  But how does it really work?

It sounds like her followers need to have Foursquare linked up to their Twitter account, and they need to check-in nearby to show their location on Twitter.  Diane Von Furstenberg then personally watches the feed to see which followers are out and about in the neighbourhood; or she has some staff or even a bot to troll through the tweets.  They expertly send a Direct Message to a few lucky followers, and invite them to come pick up bottle of her fragrance at the flagship store in the meatpacking district, which happens to be nearby where they are at that minute!

This is one of those cases where the innovative idea does more marketing work than the social-media act itself; selecting a few out of a pool of people to offer a gift to isn’t exactly the most effective way to reach the largest population, it’s the sheer neat-ness behind their use of social media that will no doubt get coverage around the blogosphere and newstands – now that’s valuable press!