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Magnificent Marketing

Our new client and Magnificent Mile landmark, Water Tower Place, has launched the new consumer marketing campaign we created for them. This unique property is known for its signature 8 level atrium, which draws in locals and tourists alike. What many people didn’t realize is that Water Tower Place has been steadily strengthening their tenant mix with a host of new stores. That is where we come in. Our challenge was to show that WTP is a fashionable destination with exciting new stores and dining options as well as an iconic Chicago landmark without creating a visual mess.

So we created the “Shopping Elevated” campaign to promote the retailers, convey the unique shopping experience and create a more fashionable brand image that only Water Tower Place can own. In addition to the in-studio fashion shoot in Atlanta, we also traveled to Chicago to capture architectural images of the center’s exterior since it is such an iconic landmark on Michigan Avenue. We then layered the two elements together to create a unique and dynamic look for the campaign. The resulting hip, fashionable and edgy effect is truly worthy of its place on The Magnificent Mile.

The campaign has debuted with extensive exterior and interior signage as well as print and digital media components.

1. Fashion shot + architectural photo = beauty. 2. Poster. 3. Facebook Homepage. 4. Website Homepage. 5. Column Banner. 6. Another lovely photographic concoction. 7. Column Banner on Michigan Avenue.

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The Most Wonderful Windows of the Year

On-line shopping continues to gain in popularity, but one thing it will never be able to offer is the wonder, beauty and magic of holiday window displays. Of course, nobody does it better than the flagship department stores in New York City.

The avant-garde was represented on Tuesday when Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship unveiled its holiday windows with a little help from Cirque du Soleil. In one window, men with jellyfish-like tentacles bounce up and down, while in another, a man and woman dance through the air supported by long white ribbons.

Lord & Taylor celebrated its 75th anniversary of showcasing mechanical holiday windows on Tuesday with a performance by Megan Hilty, star of “Smash” on NBC. Their windows tell a story of what Santa does on his day off, traveling around the world to discover holiday traditions around the globe.

One of Macy’s windows is themed “Make-a-Wish,” with videos of children whose wishes were granted. Bergdorf Goodman’s holiday windows, dubbed “BG Follies of 2012,” were inspired by the Jazz Age. The retailer created sumptuous Art Deco theaters where Ziegfeld Follies dancers could parade up and down the staircases.

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Cyber Monday challenges Black Friday

A lot was made of the fact that more retail stores started their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night this year. But many consumers couldn’t even wait that long to start shopping. Thanksgiving Day spending on-line jumped 32% from last year to $633 million. And for the first time ever, e-commerce spending on Black Friday topped $1 billion.

Meanwhile, in-store Black Friday sales figures actually dipped slightly from last year. Some of the decline can be attributed to the increase in shopping on Thanksgiving Day.

“Despite the frenzy of media coverage surrounding the importance of Black Friday in the brick-and-mortar world, we continue to see this shopping day become more and more prominent in the e-commerce channel – particularly among those who prefer to avoid crowds at the stores,” said comScore chairman, Gian Fulgoni.

The trend of “showrooming” is also having a negative impact on brick & mortar stores.  Showrooming refers to the practice of viewing merchandise in-store, then searching the web for a better deal – often via a smartphone while still inside the store.

While Black Friday lost some of its punch as a one day event, overall results from the holiday weekend were positive. A record 247 million shoppers spent a total of $59.1 billion over “Black Friday weekend” – a 13% jump over last year.

Cyber Monday remained strong as on-line spending rose 17% for a total of $1.46 billion, making it the heaviest online spending day in history.