Image Credit : Photography: Terence-Kent Ow & Sarah Spilsbury
Project Overview
The holiday season is a time of the year filled with hope on many fronts. People wish for a better year ahead, hope the gatherings will run smoothly and that their dreams will come true.
For Christmas 2022, David Jones launched the 'Festival of Wonder', with immersive experiences, festive activations and entertainment to engage visitors in-store, tapping into gently inviting displays that people find calming and welcoming during a busy time of the year.
Dashing had the opportunity to transform the Gallery at the Elizabeth St flagship in Sydney into the Christmas Shop of Wonder, creating an unforgettable experience.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Aaron Dimstas - Account Director
David Doyle - Creative Director
Lucas Hemingway - Industrial Designer
Sarah Spilsbury - Designer
Andy Kyprianou-Brown - Project Manager
Project Brief
The project allows visitors to dream and be transported to the World of Wonder, reinforcing the magic around Christmas at David Jones, celebrated since 1838.
We worked with the DJ team to create an inspirational Christmas decor shopping experience like no other, combining eye-catching patterns with moving displays that could be visible from the level below, attracting visitors to the Gallery. The vast event space gave us creative freedom to do something big, bold and magical.
The Christmas Shop of Wonder aimed to capture the anticipation and excitement of the season, elegantly drawing attention to themes of childhood nostalgia and welcoming the feeling of a Christmas storybook with a touch of modern celebration. The brand wanted to reaffirm they were there to inspire and indulge the themed decor fantasy.
Project Innovation/Need
Part of the brief was to create an eye-catching display of movement and light in the ceiling to attract visitors from level seven to the events' space at level 8. Our approach was to create an illusion of floating baubles and hot air balloons, combined with winding tables with nostalgic and luxurious Christmas decor to encourage curiosity.
The Santa Set was one of the hero pieces, as we aimed to give kids the illusion that they were travelling in Santa's ballon. We wanted to catch the anticipation of excitement and tap into a sense of childhood, bringing joy and wonder in a sophisticated style. It was challenging to create the theatrical trussing treatments - our team had to build and test motors for the spinning baubles to make sure they ran smoothly when installed into the ceiling.
The campaign also innovated with a series of retailtainment activations, including ‘Breakfast with Santa’ and a Wonder Bar. In these spaces, the visitors could interact and engage with the brand, elevating the customer experience.
Design Challenge
We worked with DJ’s VM Creative, merchandise, operations, and events teams, to develop WOW moments that served to connect the story of David Jones Christmas throughout the entire store.
When arriving at the Gallery, visitors were greeted by a concierge-curved table surrounded by a forest of trees adorned with all things Christmas. Inside the room, we started with the unexpected, by floating four giant hot air balloons beautifully decorated with the brand’s famous houndstooth pattern and a Christmas-themed colour palette of Fuchsia and Emerald Green. We added theatrical trussing treatments with clusters of transparent and spinning iridescent baubles that were visible from the level below, drawing people to the space.
Surprise and delight moments were around every corner of the store, as we used the same pattern on display clusters, combined with hot air balloons made of paper in different sizes and colours. The campaign launched a series of retailtainment activations, such as ‘Breakfast with Santa’ and a Wonder Bar where customers could have a glass of champagne.
Sustainability
David Jones is passionate about making a difference for people, communities and the environment. They always opt for more sustainable materials in their executions and reuse assets when possible. In this campaign, the exhibition tables, Santa's chair and cabins that hold the baubles will be reused in future activations.
In addition, the gifting and landing moments throughout the store were made of eco-friendly materials, such as a range of paper balloons in large and small sizes.
Pop-Ups, Display, Exhibit & Set Design
This award celebrates innovative and creative design for a temporary building or interior, exhibition, pop up site, installation, fixture or interactive element. Consideration given to materials, finishes, signage and experience.
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