The Azeeza store window in Chicago.
As a visual merchandiser and window display artist, July in Chicago has become one of my most favorite times of year. This is when Project Windows, a visual design competition celebrating the art of window display in downtown Chicago, comes to life. From luxury retailers, like Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Marc Jacobs, to big-box brands (think AT&T’s Michigan Avenue Flagship and Macy’s State Street) to the beloved independent and local retailers scattered in between, this contest celebrates all types of window displays and the unique programs each individual store maintains.
In our fourth year of Project Windows, the Art Institute of Chicago approached us looking for a way to get their message to “the man on the street.” For a world-renowned cultural institution such as the Art Institute of Chicago, we were really struck by the idea of “hearing, seeing and doing,” which is a large part of the fabric that makes up tourism marketing for a museum like this.
Going to a museum to “see” an exhibition is no longer enough. In today’s retail world, and with the influence of the Millennial generation’s shopping behaviors and need for constant stimulation, we find ourselves seeking out new ways as to generate excitement, brand awareness and, most importantly, an experience.
In our second-year partnership with the museum, we have challenged more than 50 retailers in downtown Chicago to create windows inspired by the museum’s summer exhibition, “Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary, 1926 – 1938.”Rene Magritte was an artist that many may not know by name, but certainly know by image. Do you know the painting with the man wearing a bowler hat with a large green apple in front of his face? Or the CBS logo in the shape of an eye? Those are the iconic Magritte images that have influenced the modern world.
What better way to reach “the man on the street,” to not only “see” but “do,” than to integrate these iconic images into the many unique display programs in our great city, creating a window shopping experience that is completely free and open to the public.
And to know that a cultural institution as powerful as the Art Institute finds value in retail windows as a vehicle for their own messaging is truly brilliant. Not only has Ralph Lauren on Michigan Avenue, one of the leaders in visual around the world, created a custom window display for this month’s competition using Magritte images from the exhibition, but so has Moda Marjon, a tiny, independent retailer in the Palmer House Hilton’s street level arcade.
Moda Marjon, Merz Apothecary, P.O.S.H. Chicago, Adelaide, AZEEZA, Divas-n-Dogs, Sofia Boutique and more indie retailers and small boutique owners have been able to align their brands with the likes of other world-famous brands simply by creating a display with a common theme—a theme that the entire city (and world) will come to Chicago to celebrate this summer.
No matter what city you are in, it is important to connect with “the man on the street.” The locals and visitors who are looking for an experience. Inspiration. A story. Your window should change on at least a seasonal basis. This is your first impression, your chance to grab that Millennial shopper and slow them down for a moment. Make them “think” about what is in your display—and why.
And if there is an opportunity in your city to connect with a local program, such as Project Windows, you will find that aligning your own brand with an artist, an institution or an idea greater than yours can ultimately drive traffic and get your name on the tongues of new and potential customers looking for something truly unique.
—Amanda Wolfson
(Photo by Amanda Wolfson)
