After our close encounter with a killer whale pool toy, which we discussed in our article, Merchandising Gone Wrong, I thought this example should be shared with a Merchandising 101 style followup. Back in 2012, Mulberry launched a quirky campaign to promote a summer fashion show and decided to have a bit of fun with their retail displays. Although the trend didn’t quite catch on, I think it still provides a great example of how to have fun with your product merchandising efforts.
I love that the high-end fashion brand decided to use inflatable toys to lighten up the atmosphere at a major event. Mulberry’s mix of safari animals, giant ice cream cones, luxury merchandise and gorgeous supermodels resulted in an epic event. It had a vibe that felt as if one of the best music festivals in the world had blossomed into a fantastic pool party at the Chateau Marmont. Hundreds of major names in the fashion world gathered to explore the new lines of products from their favorite designers.
So how will this help you with your retail displays and product merchandising efforts this summer? Well, we aren’t suggesting you run out and invest heavily in inflatable animals. In fact, you can forget about the pool toys altogether because his lesson is all about branding.
When designing window displays for your retail store (or for your retailers), remember to put the brand before the products. Just like last week’s discussion on Visual Merchandising Lessons from Paul Smith’s Window Displays, the trick is to create a humorous display that attracts attention but also represents far more than meets the eye. In this case, Mulberry was instilling a sense of quirkiness that brings the brand back down to earth. Yes, the inflatable animals and beach balls might have caught the attention of some curious passers by, but ultimately they fused a bit of fun into their brand and made a lasting impression on all of their guests.
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