August, 2009

Nando’s know how to sell food. But they’ve just become even better at it.

Launching a new range of packaging which has been designed to incorporate content generated by their own consumers, Nando’s new takeaway containers ask a host of challenging questions to get their customers soul-searching whilst chowing down on some peri peri delights.

It was determined in the extensive research Nando’s carried out that combining fun iconography with social commentary and philanthropy was the way forward for the international brand.

They’ve teamed this nice range with a website to continue the dialogue with their customers, inviting them to respond to their tantalising questions online.

If you fancy a look at how the champions in chicken are doing it for themselves with questions like “Life. What’s it all about then?” or “What should you be famous for?”, then hop along to yourchirp.com

Source

The NBC Experience Store in New York is currently playing host to a rather smart marketing tool.

Bravo, an NBC owned TV channel has been promoting their Top Chef reality show in the store’s window in Rockefeller Plaza by installing an interactive casino.

Passers-by can play by texting two interactive slot machines from their mobiles. The slot machines appear across 8 linked up LCD walls, and generate reciprocal messages to the sender telling them how to redeem various prizes.

All participants have the opportunity to win $5000 and the chance to visit Top Chef whilst being filmed in Las Vegas.

Cunningly casino themed to get the public excited about the next series of Top Chef, this snazzy piece of window display marketing provides Bravo with some pretty impressive stats on who and when texted the slot machine screens to play.

The new season of Top Chef starts screening on 19 August in the US and the interactive motion triggered window will remain on display until 31 August 2009.

August’s not the usual time of year that you’d consider starting to get festive, but major department stores across the UK have heralded the commencing of Christmas months in advance this year.

Decked out in Christmas decorations, trees and ornaments, retail store displays at Selfridges, Harrods and Fortnum and Mason have decided to capitalise on the late summer tourists to sell, sell, sell.

And it looks like they might just do that, as sales in Selfridges’ Christmas shop which opened on 8 August have soared by 43 per cent in the first week of trading compared with last year.

We can see the logic in spreading the Christmas spirit as consumers will tend to buy gifts over several months rather than weeks to spread the cost when given the opportunity.

But while traditionalists cry in to their Santa’s sacks, it looks like department stores up and down the country will be laughing all the way to the bank with the swag bags they’re likely to get thanks to their unseasonable displays in the face of the recession.

If you’re after an innovative way to promote your Christmas lines in store, Design 4 Retail could be your Santa’s little helper.

Give us a tinkle on 01455 203 352 or email enquiries@design4retail.net and we’ll put a Christmas wishlist together for you!

London’s most glamorous department store had yet another face lift late last month when 450 metres of uniquely steam-bent wood wrapped and weaved its way around the entrance and aisles of Harvey Nichols.

Designed by wood-bender Charlie Whinney, this latest offering to Knightsbridge’s store displays is the largest and most high profile project he’s worked on to date.

The Sloane ranger haven’s all-natural makeover not only extends through the store but outbreaks in to the shop fittings as matching coiled lampshades and elaborately steamed wooden headpieces for the store’s mannequins.

This highly innovative approach to retail display only enhances the department store’s reputation for fascinating window and in-store displays.

So if you’re in London, pop along to Sloane Street to catch sight of this wooden wonder. It’s there for six weeks before touring the country’s other Harvey Nichols’ window displays in Bristol, Dublin, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.

Cupcakes at the ready; here’s a challenge any self-respecting bakery would be up for…

The idea is that cupcake consumption is promoted best by the lovely bakers who make them, so who better to front National Cupcake Week than bakers’ shops?

The only stipulation is that the powder pink icing themed poster is displayed proudly, other than that the creative inspiration is down to the individual!

Oven gloves come off as bakers across the country dress up their shop fittings with cupcake themed display stands and extravagant window displays, all in an effort to win two tickets to the Baking Industry Awards 2010.

Not our idea of a fantastic prize, but just think of all the cakes you’ll need to create the perfect window display.

You might need to do some quality control testing/eating in the process to be in with a real chance of winning, but we think it’s worth it!

Wander past Zavvi in Piccadilly Circus and you’ll find an incredibly smart piece of technology that speaks to you through the window display.

The techies at FeONIC have developed a tool that attaches to shop window interiors and transforms the glass surface into a speaker. Very clever.

Used already in Singapore (for bus stations peculiarly) and at museums in the UK, the Whispering Window has become the ultimate in creative window display marketing.

There are no messy wires or the prospect of having expensive speakers stolen if you want to get your message out onto the streets.

The shop fitting can even be hidden in the wall to protect it from dust, extending the lifespan to five times longer than traditional speakers.

Impressively, an independent research company concluded that the FeONIC’s Whispering Window shop fitting obtained 50% more engagement from the public than a non-active window. We’re sold!

If you want to come and talk to us about your very own Whispering Window give us a bell on 01455 203 352 or visit our website on www.design4retail.co.uk and leave a message.

We like a laugh at Design 4 Retail, and this story has definitely tickled our funny bone, because it literally is bananas.

Macey’s, a Utah based grocery store is to unveil a world record attempt in-store display of more than 165,000 bananas for 26 August 2009.

This mellow yellow point of sale (POS) counter display is being sponsored by global fruit giant Dole who initiated the fruit frenzy back in 2002 when a fellow Macey’s store in Salt Lake City displayed 65,000 pounds of bananas.

Stolen of their title in December 2004, Remke Markets in Kentucky claimed the title from Macey’s with their display stand. But they’re about to go one better…

For anyone interested, Dole’s Bobby Banana character is expected to attend the unveiling event. Exciting stuff.

Perhaps not. Although at least there’s a massive sale on bananas to shift the lot after the record’s been beaten.

Imagine a glistening silver painted animal rights campaigner suspended from the ceiling, with large shark fishing hooks piercing through her shoulder blades.

Sounds dramatic? Well, now imagine this is taking place as a beauty retail giant’s store display and the idea gets a whole lot weirder.

In a bid to grab some real gravitas, the worldwide cosmetics chain Lush made a global statement on the dangers of overfishing and the resulting shock that it has now caused over 90% of the world’s shark population to be wiped out; being killed solely for their fins, flesh, cartilage and oil.

Alice Newstead, a former Lush employee and performance artist happily hooked herself up at various high profile stores (London’s Regent Street, Paris, New York) across the globe in a bid to promote Lush’s new partnership with environmental organisation Sea Shepherd, and well, sell some soap in the process.

Sea Shepherd will receive the full proceeds of the limited edition shark fin soap (11,416 bars – the number of sharks killed each hour), made with seaweed, sea salt, and a cardboard shark fin sticking out the top.

Great PR, a great cause, and probably one of the best retail displays we’ve seen in a long time.

Jack Wills, a leading clothing chain marketed towards affluent students, received a public whipping after their Gloucester branch’s shop display used cigarettes and discarded bottles in its window display to promote the Oxford University image that’s core to their recent campaign.

(Read more)

Back in the 60s there was one name that had any girl with a love of fashion cooing in delight.
And that name was Biba.

The creator, Barbara Hulanicki was the brains behind the retail outlet that made wearing vintage styles uber cool. What she produced was iconic fashion from different eras that everyone and anyone wanted to get a hold of. (Read more)