Snap’s Partner Summit event in June, in which the company shows off its latest product updates and media partnerships, produced such a flurry of new innovations.

Some of Snapchat’s newer features, like the machine-learning based SnapML, are already being used by brands like Gucci for augmented reality try-on features for clothing products. Not a bad innovation for brands whose brick-and-mortar operations have been shuttered by a global pandemic.

Others, such as the Story and Lens formats (see Adidas and Tommy Hilfiger), are now so recognisable that you may have seen similar versions launched on other social media products.

In any case, Snapchat remains an important source of creativity in digital media.

1 Paramount Pictures ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ by Wavemaker

To promote the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie in January, the eponymous blue hedgehog came to life in digital form on a number of landmarks across the UK, including Tower Bridge and the Natural History Museum, using augmented reality.

The creative even portrays Sonic as collecting rings, a major objective of the video game on which the character is based. Snapchat said the campaign had more than 27 million impressions with a unique reach of 10.5 million.

2 Lego ‘And I think to myself’ by Engine Mischief, The Producers and Initiative Junior

Lego is running a Christmas pop-up in London’s Covent Garden this month that features a variety of brick-built installations to bring to life its “And I think to myself” campaign, inspired by the lyrics in its Christmas creative.

Snapchat users can access a karaoke AR lens that will not only help them learn the lyrics to the song but be able to see the lyrics like “I see sausage trees”, “My horse is blue” and “Don’t seem to give a duck”.

3 Adidas ‘#HomeTeam’ by Adidas

To help people stay active while staying at home, the sportswear giant launched a series of filters and an AR Lens to encourage Snapchatters to stay home and to offer them creative, fit and fun ways to celebrate how they were staying active, with the people closest to them. Snapchat said it was viewed more than 14 million times.

4 Public Health England ‘Better Health – Every Mind Matters’ by OmniGov and Wavemaker

This campaign, which ran from September to November, focused on encouraging children and young people to take positive actions towards better mental health. The campaign targeted 13- to 18-year-olds on Snapchat, and included both AR Lenses and a bespoke three-part content series called “In My Head”, produced in partnership with Barcroft Studios.

5 Gucci ‘Try-on sneaker’ by Gucci

To create excitement around the launch of its new sneaker collection in June, Gucci partnered with Snapchat to launch an AR shoe try-on. Leveraging the recently launched SnapML feature in Lens Studio, Gucci offered Snapchatters a try-on experience for four different pairs of sneakers and a route to purchase via a dedicated “Shop Now” button located inside the Lens.

6 Tommy Hilfiger ‘Looney Tunes’ by Tommy Hilfiger

Marking the launch of its Looney Tunes collection in April, Tommy Jeans launched its first-ever AR portal Lens on Snapchat. The Lens opened with the iconic Bugs Bunny look in selfie mode and when flipping the camera, Snapchatters were invited to step into the fashion world of Tommy Jeans x Looney Tunes.

Inside the Portal Lens people could explore the collection, interact with the space and also use the“Shop Now” button, giving Snapchatters the opportunity to buy the limited edition collection instantly wherever they were.

7 Tate Britain, The National Gallery and the Bank of England ‘£20 note campaign’

Anyone in possession of the new £20 note (or a picture of it) was able to see their cash in a new dimension, interact and learn about JMW Turner’s artwork which adorns the new note. This campaign launched in February.

8 DJ Mag ‘David Guetta – world’s best DJ’ by GoSpooky

DJ Mag turned to Snapchat to put on an AR concert to celebrate David Guetta being announced as number one in its World’s Top 100 DJs list in November. Snapchatters around the world could use the lens, point their phones at the sky and unlock an exclusive David Guetta set – the biggest of his life.

9 Sky Q ‘Everything you love in one place, easy’ by Sky Creative

This campaign sought to bring the SkyQ Portal to life, having launched in October. Working closely with Sky Creative Agency, Snap’s in-house design team crafted Story ads to play into the Sky Q “Portal” seen across the integrated campaign.

The Story Ad was meant to surprise Snapchatters as the creative seemingly consumed the User Interface within the Stories tab. Snapchat said this was viewed by more than 6.8 million UK Snapchatters.

10 Samsung ‘A-Series’ by Rapp and Atomic Digital

This campaign was adapted from the TV ad in July to create a bespoke AR Lens that lets the Snapchatter control different elements of the creative.

The post Snapchat’s favourite UK campaigns of 2020 appeared first on This Is Retail.

The Drum have summed up such a wonderful list that I needn’t compile my own this year, although I have added a few notable Aussie ads in there for your viewing pleasure.

Whatever happens in the next month or two, Christmas 2020 will be like no other before it. As advertisers grapple with how to stand out during the festive season, you can keep up to date with the best seasonal creative right here.

It might be November but it’s already beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Mince pies have tentatively started to appear on the supermarket shelves, as of yet unlit festive lights dangle in waiting in cities across the world and brands have started airing their Christmas ads.

So far we’ve seen Disney get in on the action with a tearjerker to rival John Lewis’ crown, while Dobbies has unveiled an unexpected, abstract campaign from ODD.

Boots has also launched a charity-focused push from Ogilvy centered around the issue of hygiene poverty. Elsewhere, Barbour has returned to the popular children’s book Father Christmas, written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs. And Burberry’s London-based singing and dancing spectacular is has broken through the Christmas bubble to a roar of applause.

Papa John’s: Giving More This Christmas, London.

In an effort to raise awareness and support two of the most prevalent issues the UK is currently facing, hunger and homelessness, Papa John’s is launching its ‘Giving more this Christmas’ campaign, which sees the pizza delivery chain donating a chunk of their creative and marketing budgets to Crisis and the Trussell Trust.

To put the money which would have otherwise been spent on creative designs and production costs to better use, Papa John’s instead, enlisted help from internal staff to design and create the assets for its Christmas 2020 campaign.

Lidl: A Christmas You Can Believe In by Karmarama, London

Building on the success of Lidl’s Christmas campaign last year Big On A Christmas You Can Believe In, this year’s advert uses an amusing parody in an animated world to support the same sentiment.

The ad nods to the unbelievable and unrealistic nature of Christmas ads whilst interrupting these Christmas advertising tropes, and side-stepping them for great Lidl products, at great Lidl prices.

The campaign sits within Lidl’s ‘Big On’ creative framework launched last year with advertising agency Karmarama and looks to highlight the brand’s commitment to being ‘Big on’ quality and always ‘Lidl’ on price.

Deliveroo- Christmas is on, London

Celebrating its first ever major UK Christmas campaign, Deliveroo’s latest spot ‘Christmas is On’, was created in-house by the food-delivery company, and highlights that no matter what uncertainty lies ahead the next few months, Deliveroo will be here to deliver this Christmas.

Throughout November and December, a brand new festive menu on Deliveroo features exclusive dishes from loved chains to local neighbourhood favourites. From Pret’s legendary Christmas sandwich to Burger King’s Festive BBQ King and Pizza Hut’s Christmas Pizza, these limited-edition dishes are available only on Deliveroo.

The campaign also celebrates the festive grocery favourites available for delivery on-demand in as little as 20 minutes from mince pies to prosecco, from the likes of Co-op, Waitrose, Aldi and Morrisons.

Burberry – ‘Singing in the (London) Rain’, London

Fashion house Burberry is making a splash this Christmas with a timeless rendition of Singin’ in the Rain, infusing the Gene Kelly classic with the brand’s distinctive urban edginess.

Produced by RiffRaff Films and directed by MegaForce, the classical climatic dance-off has been choreographed by dance collective (La)Horde, amping up the thrill factor by introducing falling blocks of ice for the fleet-footed quartet to circumnavigate.

Evading a descent into tired schmaltz and cheese the short film brings the 1950s straight into the 21st century with a hailstorm on London’s Petticoat Lane.

Keen to fashion more than just a video, Burberry is aiming to celebrate its capacity to provide social good, signified by a partnership with footballer and activist Marcus Rashford to finance a network of British youth centres.

Boots – ‘What the World Needs’, Ogilvy London

Boots has launched its Christmas campaign, centred around acts of kindness, care and great value for all. Boots ‘What the World Needs Now’ campaign recognises that it has been a year like no other and acts of care and kindness are what is needed most.

To help, Boots will provide hygiene essentials to some of the millions of people in the UK living in hygiene poverty, with a donation of £1m worth of products to The Hygiene Bank. Boots is also inviting customers to donate hygiene items to support those most in need this Christmas.

American Egg Board: The Gift of Eggs by BBDO

American Egg Board’s new campaign, ‘The Gift of Eggs,’ pokes fun at holiday extravagances in order to celebrate what really matters during the season — family, friends, special memories together and food.

The campaign’s two short films upend trite holiday gifting advertising, like the perennial car with a big bow in the driveway, by adding a comic twist to remind consumers that just a dozen eggs can open the door to incredible possibilities.

The 15-second films, created in partnership with creative agency Energy BBDO, are called ‘Giant Bow’ and ‘Proposal.’ The former plays off over-the-top holiday car commercials, showing a family surprising their dad with an extravagantly wrapped carton of eggs in the driveway; the latter leans into jewelry store holiday clichés, revealing that the holiday proposal is not with a diamond, but an incredible egg. The tongue-in-cheek films will run on social and OLV and were shot following social distancing protocols

Zalando – We will hug again by Anomaly

Against the backdrop of a challenging year of uncertainty and separation, Zalando is celebrating the hug as the ultimate expression of human connection and solidarity. Created by Anomaly Berlin, ‘We Will Hug Again’ is devised to convey a feeling of optimism and hope across Europe.

This message of hope will be depicted across numerous formats. Firstly, it will be brought to life through a series of Hug Portraits which will appear as large unbranded murals in visible urban locations across Europe. It will also include a heartwarming film, ‘100 Years of Hugs,’ directed by Vincent Haycock, and set to the track ‘Godspeed’ by Frank Ocean.

Barbour: Father Christmas to The Rescue by Illuminated Films

For the second year running, Barbour has returned to the popular children’s book Father Christmas, written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs.

The film follows a young boy whose dog has chewed his father’s beloved Barbour wax jacket. The boy writes to Father Christmas to say that he doesn’t want a present this year, he just needs his help to repair his father’s jacket in time for Christmas. Father Christmas realises he can’t mend the jacket himself but has the bright idea of taking it to the Barbour factory in South Shields to see whether they can assist. The Barbour customer service team set to work repairing the jacket and give it a rewax too, so it looks as good as new.

The film is based on the true story of Dudley the dachshund who chewed his owner’s much-adored Barbour jacket. His owner sent it back to Barbour with a note from Dudley to say he was sorry.

Disney: From Our Family To Yours by The Walt Disney Company

Disney’s Christmas charming Christmas ad is inspired by the themes of traditions and family togetherness in a year that has upended both. Exploring the relationship between a gran and her granddaughter, the animation is certain to tug at the heartstrings.

Running across 26 markets in Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand, North America and parts of Asia, ‘From Our Family To Yours’ holds the same production values as any Pixar movie would.

Based on insight from consumers that traditions, family and nostalgia were the most important things to them in the run up to this Christmas, the short sees the introduction of two characters – a grandmother, Lola, and her granddaughter.

Dobbies: The Joy of Dobbies by ODD

Dobbies has departed with Christmas tradition to launch ‘The Joy of Dobbies’ brings to life the magical experience of a trip to the retailer during the festive period.

Abstract, impactful and unexpected, it features a bauble-filled hot-tub, sledging poodle and raining mince-pies. All an entertaining ode to the fact that nothing that beats the feeling of a trip to a Dobbies garden centre at Christmas.

At its core is a disruptive marketing strategy from ODD that centres around short, shareable film content that will catch attention on TV as much as stand-out online. The films also feature original scores from acclaimed Jazz musician, Ola Onabulé.

Waitrose & John Lewis – Give a Little Love

Inspired by the kindness we saw throughout the pandemic, the Waitrose and John Lewis advert was created by advertising agency adam&eveDDB, and isn’t just a celebration of different forms of moving art – from animation and claymation to CGI and cinematography – it’s made up of nine different vignettes created by eight different artists who are leading experts in their particular art, including Chris Hopewell, who has created music videos for Radiohead and Franz Ferdinand, and French animator Sylvain Chomet.

The unique approach was chosen in a spirit of kindness towards the creative industries, which has been hard hit by the pandemic. Instead of a single production team, multiple artists were selected, giving employment to many people across our creative community.

Sainsbury’s Gravy Song

Sainsbury’s takes a heartfelt look at food, family and memories in three-part Christmas advert collection, starting with the ‘Gravy Song’. The spot tells how a father and daughter’s excitement for Christmas gets them talking about Dad’s gravy and his “famous” gravy song. The song brings back memories of years gone by, as the daughter tries to cope with the embarrassment of her Dad’s singing, whilst admitting her love for the gravy (and the song, really).

In a year when Christmas feels more uncertain yet more needed than ever, the collection of nostalgic adverts aims to celebrate culinary memories with loved ones and transport us through time by centring around three personal stories of modern British families and their connection to Christmas food. It’s another one to be created by Wieden+Kennedy.

Tesco – No Naughty List

Directed by Raine Allen-Miller from Somesuch and developed by BBH, Tesco’s festive offering this year absolves us of our sins by saying, “After a year like this, we believe there is no naughty list. So go on Britain, treat yourself to the best Christmas ever”. We can live with that.

We see a few characters admit they bought too many loo rolls. While others confess to poor video call etiquette. But the supermarket tells us to indulge anyway, as we “deserve it”. It’s a cheeky, fun spot all backed by one of Britney Spears’ classics, Oops I Did It Again.

Three: Your Phone’s Seen A Lot This Year by Wonderhood Studios, London

Three’s holiday campaign, directed by award-winning director, Simon Ratigan, shows 2020 through the eyes of our phones – from heart-felt kisses on video calls to working from home and virtual quizzes, all voiced by a choir that sings what unrelenting hard work it is to be a phone.

In the end, the lead drops her trusty phone, just in time to get a deal on a shiny new one from Three.

Coca-Cola – Give something only you can give

If the McDonalds and John Lewis adverts didn’t have you crying, Coca-Cola’s offering definitely will.

The two-and-a-half minute clip follows the story of a dad trying to deliver his daughter’s letter to Santa against all odds.

And it was actually directed by Oscar winner Taika Waititi, who has worked on films such as JoJo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok.

notonthehighstreet.com: The Magic of Small Things by Friendly Giants

Notonthehighstreet, the UK’s curated online marketplace for the UK’s best small creative businesses, reveals its first airtime TV Christmas advertising campaign in three years.

The ad, which focuses on ‘The Magic of Small Things’, taps into the national, pandemic-accelerated shift towards supporting small, local businesses, and to cherishing simple moments of connection that have become even more important in 2020.

Aldi: Kevin’s Out in the Cold by McCann UK

Aldi has finally premiered its Christmas ad from McCann which sees Kevin the Carrot return to screens to mark the start of the festive season, bringing with him some much-needed wonder and magic.

The country was left on tenterhooks and rooting for the plucky carrot’s safe return following his appearance earlier this week in a teaser advert. Just days ago, Kevin set the sky alight, Top Gun style, in a fighter jet escapade with co-pilot Turkey.

He was left perilously adrift with a flaming parachute, leaving fans asking Where is Kevin, and will he manage to get home to Katie and family in time for Christmas?

Myer – Bigger than Christmas, Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne

Myer is helping put the joy back into 2020, with a Christmas campaign via Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, encouraging Australians to come together to celebrate all of the moments they’ve missed out on this year and make this Christmas even ‘Bigger than Christmas’.

From birthday parties, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, anniversaries, Easter, and weddings that have had to be put on hold or celebrated in isolation – Australians will be packing it all into one day where they can celebrate it all.

To launch the campaign, Myer have today released an original Christmas carol that reflects on the events and occasions that were a little different this year, using iconic Aussie satire and sunny-side up sense of humour.

The campaign will come to life across all facets of the major Australian retailer’s communications including: advertising, visual merchandising, stores and digital platforms. It also showcases Myer’s ultimate, curated, one-stop Giftorium experience, which includes an exclusive partnership with Disney. In addition, Myer Gifticians will solve all gift giving needs to suit all ages and budgets, there will be complimentary gift wrapping along with the option for customers to round up their purchases at the point of sale, with proceeds going to charity.

David Jones – The home of Christmas for 182 years, Sydney

David Jones is waving goodbye to 2020 and warmly welcoming the festive season with ‘The Home of Christmas for 182 years’, a nostalgic Christmas campaign inviting all Australians to celebrate 182 Christmases with the iconic department store.

Founded in 1838, David Jones has seen almost 200 years of Australia’s heritage through its famous windows. From the perspective of looking out, not in; ‘The Home of Christmas for 182 years’ celebrates two centuries of Christmas shoppers peering through the glass, uniting the years with a sense of joy and delight.

Michael Hill Jewellers – It truly is the thought that counts, CHE Proximity

Michael Hill Jeweller has launched its Christmas brand campaign in collaboration with CHE Proximity, based on the premise of helping a loved one rediscover their sparkle.

The film shows an all too familiar chaotic evening routine for mum, kids, and the family dog, which culminates in a bedtime story.

Mum resonates with the lead character who, ‘at the end of a year of endless debacle’, realises that she had ‘lost her sparkle.’

This doesn’t go unnoticed by her kids, and on Christmas Day, mum spots a thoughtful little treasure trove labelled ‘to mummy’, with a purple Michael Hill box.

Marks and Spencer: This is M&S Christmas Food by Grey London’

In a year when charity funding has declined almost 25%, this Christmas M&S Food has announced it will donate £2m to good causes, saying it’s not a year for “Christmas advertising fairytales”.

Central to this, M&S Food is shining a light on a number of important charities, partnering with nine world-famous actors who have added their unmistakable voices to nine brand new Christmas food ads, shot in its signature ‘food porn’ style.

The star-studded voiceover cast — which includes Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Helen Mirren and Chiwetel Ejiofor have all chosen to work with M&S, selecting charities close to their hearts to which M&S Food will make a donation on their behalf.

And M&S is doing the same for customers. Every time a customer signed up to its sparks loyalty scheme shops at M&S in-store or online at M&S.com, it will donate to their selected charity, from a range of 35 different causes.

M&S Food will also donate an additional £1million across a diverse range of charities including Shelter, Together for Short Lives and the 35 Sparks charities that M&S supports. Through Sparks, M&S has donated £7.3 million since 2015.

Very.co.uk: Christmas is this Very moment’ by Grey

Very.co.uk has launched a funny Christmas campaign, its first from Grey London, which encourages people to embrace every single moment in the countdown to December 25 instead of focusing on the clichéd portrayal of Christmas day.

The charmingly honest film sends the message that the best thing about Christmas is not just Christmas day but the combination of all the wonderfully festive moments in the build-up to Christmas, from Christmas lights and the all-important tree to Christmas jammies.

Javier Campopiano, chief creative officer Europe and creative chairman London at Grey, said: “It’s a different Christmas message, a message that offers the unfiltered point of view of someone who truly loves everything about Christmas, every single bit that makes it such a magical season.

“Not only is it different to what the brand and its customers have seen before, but we’re confident it’ll resonate right now when we’re facing the prospect of a very different festive period.”

Argos: An Evening with AbracaDaisy & The Incredible Lucy

Despite scrapping its paper catalogue in June after 47 years, Argos has brought out the second chapter in its ‘Book of Dreams’ campaign, which once again taps into the nostalgia that people feel for flicking through the pages of its Christmas gift guide.

Though the original ‘Book of Dreams’ is currently out of print, Argos has brought out a Christmas gift guide to replace it. In the spot, two girls spot a box of magic tricks on the pages of the guide, which transports them off to the furthest reaches of the imagination, to a world where they have their own extraordinary magic show.

Last year saw Argos introduce the ‘Book of Dreams,‘ dropping its playful ‘Christmas Fool‘ character in favour of a more family-oriented spot. Both were created by The&Partnership.

“Last year‘s Christmas ad performed extremely well for us,” explains Argos‘ senior campaign manager, Rob Quartermain. “This year, we‘ve taken that idea on another step. It felt like a really powerful and strong idea and something that‘s uniquely Argos.”

Amazon: The Show Must Go On by Lucky Generals

This year Amazon tells the inspiring story of a determined young ballerina who inadvertently brings her community together amid the challenges of this year.

Set to an arrangement of Queen’s ‘The Show Must Go On‘ the film features 17-year-old French ballet dancer, Taïs Vinolo as her character is forced to train from home due to the pandemic.

While her dreams of dancing a lead role are cancelled due to Covid-19, she doesn’t let this hold her back and she continues to practice her routine – dancing wherever and whenever she can. Inspired by her resolution and resolve, her sister and the community around her pull together to give her a stage and an audience in an emotional finale.

Last year, Amazon released a Love Actually-style spot, that featured a little girl playing Everybody Needs Somebody to Love, a flirty couple and its hallmark singing parcels.

TK Maxx: Lil’ Goat by Wieden+Kennedy

For its Christmas ad this year, TK Maxx has introduced ‘Lil’ Goat’ – a sassy, enviably dressed little goat.

As ‘Lil’ Goat’ struts across a snowy landscape, her farmers watch her go by. The wife questions her husband, “Did you buy the goat a designer outfit?” Gary, instead of conforming to the stoic farmer type, looks on tenderly with a tear in his eye and replies, replies proudly, “Yes, she’s had such a hard year. She bloomin’ well deserves it if you ask me”. The ad concludes with the jubilant goat sliding freely across the icy terrain, embodying the off-price retailer’s spirited and often humorous nature to deliver an important message – after the year we’ve had, everyone deserves to feel special this Christmas.

Last year TK Maxx adopted a daredevil skier called TK to show how shoppers can enter autopilot in its stores.

Lego: And I Think to Myself… by Lego Agency

The Lego Group celebrates the magic of the everyday as experienced by children through play. It showcases families coming together and experiencing the joyful, humorous adventures that children create and explore as they build, unbuild and rebuild with Lego products.

Part of its ‘Rebuild the World’ brand campaign, the playful storyline is set to a bespoke reimagining of ‘What a Wonderful World’

In the whimsical adventure, every story, animal and vehicle in the fun-filled celebration of children’s creativity are based on existing Lego products; princess knights calm dragons, astronauts celebrate their marriage with dinosaurs and giant chicken, and a Star Wars AT-AT takes a nap mid-crusade.

Pepsi Max: Christmas Refreshed by Truant London

Pepsi Max has partnered with rap artists Kamakaze and TrueMendous for its new Christmas spot.

‘Christmas Refreshed‘ sees Pepsi shatter old Christmas traditions, offering an alternative view. ‘Traditional is so cliché‘ the rappers declare, and throughout the ad longstanding Christmas tropes are replaced with cool alternatives – a sledge is replaced by a hench soundsystem, a festive jumper transforms into a sick Pepsi jacket.

TBWA: Ian Wright & Family by Portal from Facebook

Portal from Facebook launches a brand new holiday campaign with national treasure and footballing legend, Ian Wright.

Each family moment in the campaign showcases how a different feature of Portal is helping the Wrights feel like they’re hanging out together. From the AI-powered Smart Camera, AR filters, through to Group calling and Rooms, Portal’s technology allows the family to focus on what matters; coming together during the holidays and keeping their family traditions – like making fun of Dad – alive.

Asda: That’s An Asda Price Christmas by AMV BBDO

This year, Asda was one of the first of the major supermarkets to launch its Christmas ad.

With England on the eve of its second lockdown, many are looking to the festive season to bring a little cheer to the end of 2020. Featuring the tagline, ‘the Christmas we all need, at the prices we want’ the spot sees the return of Asda super-fan Sunny and his wife and children as they try to bring some seasonal cheer to their Scrooge-like next-door-neighbour, Christine.

The spot has won praise for its no-frills approach to this year’s festivities, acknowledging that “Christmas is going to be different this year so let’s really make the most of it.”

Walkers: A Sausage CaRoll by Elvis

Walkers Crisps has released its Christmas offering starring YouTuber and Christmas No.1 holder, LadBaby, with supporting rolls from East 17’s Tony Mortimer, Walking in the Air singer Aled Jones, and Walker’s mainstay, Gary Lineker.

In the spot, the gang performs a medley of Christmas carols with lyrics adapted to herald the arrival of Walker’s new sausage roll flavoured crisps.

The ad was created in partnership with The Trussell Trust, the charity which supports food banks across the UK. The crisp brand has pledged to help LadBaby raise more money than ever in its name this Christmas. Walkers had already pledged £1m to The Trussell Trust earlier this year, as the charity needs more support than ever due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.

The post Christmas 2020 Ad Round Up appeared first on This Is Retail.

Retailers are innovating across the globe in a huge variety of ways – and that innovation is perfectly exemplified in retail displays. Engaging displays and visual merchandising are a key part of how physical retailers can continue to drive footfall, awareness and loyalty.

From extraordinary facades and unusual interiors to eco-friendly displays and art installations, here’s our take on the 50 best retail displays (in alphabetical order) on the planet.

1. Adidas Flagship (London)

Adidas’ much-hyped London flagship opposite Selfridges is full of innovative displays and bold visuals.
Firstly, the store has been designed with flexibility in mind – movable cabinets and displays are found on every floor that allow Adidas to easily create a new activation or collaboration. Sustainability is intelligently visualised too. A dedicated ‘Marley’ sneaker display explains how the groundbreaking product is made using ocean plastics. Augmented reality displays are also abundant, adding an extra visual layer to sustainability storytelling and promoting visuals.

2. Aesop (Sydney)

Located in Westfield Bondi Junction, the new Aesop store has been designed to evoke 1960s Australian homes. Created by Mlkk Studio, the space has been made using pinewood planks and panels, including a stud wall vaasard, to appeal to the largely local Australian customer base. The timber has been sourced from a nearby woodwork store to minimise costs but also in support of the ‘local’ theme. This feeling of ‘local’ is reflected throughout the store with the interiors resembling the design trends of the 70s. There is even a ceramic coffee cup display further capturing domestic life in the 60s and 70s.

3. Anya Hindmarch (London)

Luxury handbag designer Anya Hindmarch has launched the ’I am a plastic bag’ collection for London Fashion Week in favour of a catwalk show. The designer has filled her London stores with plastic bottles to make a statement about waste. From the outside the windows are filled with empty plastic bottles to highlight the new collection’s use of recycled plastic. The stores will be closed for three days over Fashion Week to keep the focus on the displays and, ultimately, the message. Ninety-thousand used plastic bottles have been obtained to fill the stores which is shockingly the amount that are purchased globally every six seconds.

4. APL (LA)

Sneaker brand APL’s first store in LA is defined by its long narrow space that is both dramatic and serene. As the store is located in the ‘City of Angels’ the founders wanted to conjure up an image of ‘heaven’. The high ceilings, narrow width and runway-like depth are immediately noticeable in this extraordinary store. Whilst the space itself is incredibly dramatic, the overall aesthetic is not in competition with the sneakers on display and they still manage to be the star of the show.

5. Apple (NYC)

The iconic Apple store on Fifth Ave has been fully refurbished and redesigned, with lots of features that set it apart from the rest. Our favourite is the 62 circular lights that surround the iconic cube entrance and allow natural light to flood into the underground space. At night they illuminate the plaza. Nine of these, known as the ‘sky lenses’, rise out of the ground for more dramatic visual effect. The reflective capsules also double up as public seating so people can enjoy the experience for longer.

6. The Arrivals OutThere Lab (NYC)

Fashion retailer The Arrivals created a weather-themed pop-up to promote its clothing in the elements. Three different shopping zones were created to reflect three different microclimates. LED lights broadcast the weather in three cities – Tokyo, Berlin and New York – and the clothes are displayed to reflect dressing in those climates. Everything in the store is white with neon accents which means that the clothing can take centre stage.

7. Axel Arigato (Copenhagen)

Swedish footwear retailer Axel Arigato’s flagship store in Copenhagen is a minimalist, brutalist space developed with Stockholm-based architect Christian Halleröd. The huge, raw concrete staircase dominates the space – and the entire store matches this same grey concrete look. The only exception are the bum-shaped sculptures by Brazilian artist Kiri-Una Brito Meumann, which inevitably really stand out. The shoes are sparsely laid out which creates a dramatic overall visual feel.

8. Benefit Cosmetics pop-up (London)

Beauty giant Benefit Cosmetics launched an immersive pop-up in Shoreditch called the BeneFIT Anti Gym. Customers are encouraged to work on their brows, not their biceps. To coincide with the launch of its new eyebrow palette, the shop fit is that of a very pink and very Instagrammable gym – complete with pink ‘lucky lockers’ full of Benefit goodies that customers can win a key to unlock. This is a gym people will not want to leave in a hurry.

9. Benetton Printemps pop-up (Paris)

Benetton created a ‘rainbow theatre’ pop-up in Printemps that was bold and eye-catching. Without needing to use any tech, the space was a sensory experience with the focus being on the colour palette. An installation on the wall of paint tins pours graphical lines of paint down the walls and onto the floor. The same designs are used on the clothes, along with jars of sweets and seating. It is a simple yet striking display of colour.

10. Box by Posti (Helsinki)

Finnish postal service Posti has created Box as the middleman between online ordering and delivering to your home. Customers can instead get their orders sent here where they will be held in lockers until they are ready to collect them. The space has been beautifully designed by design studio Fyra, where the lockers are accompanied by changing rooms as well as areas to relax whilst you wait. Everything is of the moment from the pale pink lockers to the dedicated recycling area.

11. Camper (Barcelona)

Kengo Kuma led the renovation of Camper’s Barcelona store, and decided to use an ancient Catalan construction method involving vaulted ceramic plates. The beautiful technique is used throughout, from furniture to shelves holding the shoes. This creates a unique visual identity, but importantly it also builds a strong localised link to the design heritage of Barcelona.

12. Canada Goose (Toronto)

Canadian outerwear retailer Canada Goose has a new store in Toronto that doesn’t sell any coats. Instead customers are invited to try on a coat before being transported to the ‘Cold Room’ – a -12 C room with real snow. This room can be accessed via a glass walkway that mimics the sounds of cracking ice as you walk across it. Once in the room you will be met with floor-to-ceiling screens displaying arctic landscapes.

13. Claus Porto (NYC)

One hundred and thirty one year-old beauty and fragrance retailer Claus Porto enlisted the help of Tacklebox Architecture to help create its boutique in NYC. The small interior is a long alleyway filled with a freestanding crinkled structure that is able to house and display its products by providing ledges for the items to sit on. The vaulted design is said to represent the arched portals of São Bento train station in Porto to highlight the brand’s heritage within the store.

14. Depop at Selfridges (London)

Fashion marketplace app Depop opened a pop-up in Selfridges to showcase the app. The items of clothing were displayed on moving red rails, similar to those found at dry cleaners. Each week it showcased different Depop sellers who exhibited a curated selection of vintage, luxury, streetwear and independent designers

15. En (Paris)

Japanese beauty spa En has an outpost in Paris designed around the theme of Japanese tea ceremonies and french wineries. Occupying an 18th century building, the space has been designed by Paris based architects Archiee. The space resembles a wine cellar with exposed brickwork and gold fixtures that makes it feel historic and beautiful at the same time.

16. Everlane (Williamsburg, NYC)

Everlane’s store in trendy Williamsburg is a large but welcoming space full of light and minimalist design. The wood and concrete floors add some texture to the otherwise white space – and this sense of space and light is the perfect way of visualising the brand’s ethically produced range. A tree also occupies the centre of the double height space, surrounded by seating for customers to relax in – all of which adds to the tranquil feeling.

17. Fig (Vancouver)

Fig Facial Bar is an oasis of green in Vancouver. It features painted soft greens, scalloped green walls, green basins, dark green velvet curtains and light green barber chairs. But somehow, all that green works together perfectly to create a calming and visually unique space – which is testament to the skill of the designers, Scott & Scott.

18. Forte_forte (Tokyo)

Forte_forte Tokyo is the Italian clothing retailer’s first boutique in Japan. The store’s design combines brass, travertine and gold leaf, which gives it a distinct and delicate feel, much like its spaces in Milan, Paris and London.

19. Fortnum & Mason Chapel of Love (London)

Iconic department store Fortnum & Mason has opened a wedding chapel installation where visitors can actually get married. It is London’s first in-store wedding chapel and has been designed around the central staircase. Decked out in pastel hues that are in-keeping with the store’s tasteful interior, it fills three floors of the atrium. It takes the concept of in-store experiences to a new level.

20. Forty Five Ten (New York)

Located at Hudson Yards, this store is a fusion of art and fashion. Created by design studio Snarkitecture, the glass brick storefront makes an immediate and dramatic impression on the customer. Like its other boutiques, the store features a number of bold artworks interspersed with the products, which really elevates the status and focus of each item.

21. Freitag (Zurich)

Freitag’s Zurich concept store focuses on its well-known ‘make your own’ recycled tarp bag station. The microfactory that conducts this hands-on process takes centre stage in the space, and that’s precisely what makes this store visually engaging.

22. Gacha Gacha coffee (Tokyo)

Japanese coffee brand Maruyama Coffee has opened an unmanned cafe, Gacha Gacha, where customers are their own baristas. The striking black and copper design adds to the uniqueness of this space with every element – from capsule vending machines to grinding stations – featuring the same sleek design. It’s a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

23. Gentle Monster (Shanghai)

Gentle Monster is well known for its eye-catching displays and multisensory experiences that transcend traditional retail design, and the Shanghai flagship is one of its finest examples. A series of rooms feature unique ideas such as woven sculptural creatures, piles of soil, wooden boats and pieces of technological equipment. Like all of its global stores, its retail displays are like no other.

24. Glossier pop-up (London)

The Glossier pop-up in London is packed with retail displays that are entirely true to the brand. The series of rooms through narrow doorways (think of a classic London terraced home) feature floral patterned wallpaper and displays, and a huge range of bold colour combinations. There’s also a Glossier rooftop which pays homage to the London skyline. If you haven’t seen it for yourself, you’ll probably have seen it on Instagram.

25. Greenery Unlimited (NYC)

Located in Brooklyn you will find New York’s ‘greenest store’ from the people behind botanic design studio Greenery NYC. The store is packed with foliage for sale from cacti to ferns and creepers. The space feels more like a botanical garden than a store and the 120 sq ft wall of plants adds to that feeling. The space is tapping into a growing trend for plant filled interiors, designed to reduce stress and anxiety. The seating areas have been designed for customers to soak up the surroundings.

26. Harmay (Hong Kong)

Cosmetic retailer Harmay’s Hong Kong store is a beautiful space that’s dominated by a steely metallic design. Most notably, the walls of the main floor are lined with unlabelled stainless steel drawers packed with products. Hints are given about where to find certain products, but for the most part customers just have to open them and see what’s inside. This simple concept makes the space uncluttered and adds a genuine sense of discovery.

27. Hermès (Amsterdam)

Hermès glass brick-fronted Amsterdam store is visually striking long before you enter. The glass brick facade makes the townhouse building partially see through. Ingeniously, some internal walls were carefully removed so that passers-by could see some, but not all of an internal terracotta-bricked wall – which gives the illusion of a dissolving wall.

28. Issey Miyake (Tokyo)

An industrial pleating machine is the star of the show at Issey Miyake’s Homme Plisse flagship in Tokyo. The machine is actively used by staff during opening hours, offering some real retail theatre for customers. This fits perfectly with the otherwise minimalistic and sleek store design, and the brightly coloured garments on display.

29. JINS at Ginza Loft (Tokyo)

JINS eyewear’s shop at the Ginza Loft in Tokyo is a great example of making humble materials look beautiful. The glasses are held in utilitarian, prefabricated steel racks. And the glasses themselves sit on scotch-brite yellow sponges – exactly the type you do the washing up with. But the space manages to look beautiful and entirely unique.

30. LEGO ‘House of Dots’ (London)

Artist Camille Walala and Lego teamed up to create an installation built into a shipping container. Located in Coal Drops Yard, the ‘House of Dots’ was a fantasy world of pastel coloured dots that housed a ball pit, giant slide and even a disco. The launch coincided with Lego’s new DOTS range.

31. Louis Vuitton X Virgil Abloh (NYC)

Luxury fashion retailer Louis Vuitton has partnered with artistic director Virgil Abloh on a neon green pop-up in NYC. The all-green retail experience starts from the outside where the entire store is painted the same shade of neon green. Even the trash can and mailbox outside have been painted in the same shade. Upon entering the neon green runs throughout the store design, giving the impression the entire store has been doused in a giant tin of paint.

32. LoveShackFancy (NYC)

LoveShackFancy’s store on Bleecker Street is more like stepping into an old millinery. The reupholstered furniture is from the 17th century. The store is filled with roses, baskets and potted plants and is a gateway to fabric stores of the past. It is the complete antithesis of NYC’s usually sleek retail scene. The store is packed with racks on racks of the ethereal clothing the retailer is famous for and you would be easily mistaken for thinking it was a vintage store.

33. Lunettes Selection (Berlin)

Eyewear retailer Lunettes Selection has used pastel green interiors for its engaging Berlin store. It draws on the area’s heritage with floor to ceiling mint green cabinets that have been assembled from 1960s tool cupboards salvaged from nearby. Glasses are displayed in drawers within these cabinets, cleverly encouraging customers to interact with the displays.

34. Lush Labs (Tokyo)

The Labs pop-up space in Harajuku, Tokyo manages to be both attention-grabbing and eco-friendly. It only sells bathbombs, and all without packaging – extending the ‘naked’ concept launched elsewhere around the world. Visually the rainbow of bathbombs is stunning – but also eco-friendly.

35. Made Thought (London)

Design studio Made Thought has opened an experimental pop-up in London. It’s a space that’s intended to incorporate lots of elements you might expect from a website – from editorial content to installations that change weekly. Products are interspersed with this editorial content giving it the feel of a shoppable Instagram feed.

36. Moustache (Paris)

French design company Moustache’s Paris store features a stone interior that really lets the products shine. It resembles a cave with painted chalk whites to give the feel its displays have been carved out of stone.

The furnishing and design products are displayed within alcoves or set on plinths that curve into the walls – a detail that creates a beautiful aesthetic.

37. Museum of Qatar Gift Shop (Doha)

The Museum of Qatar Gift Shop in Doha is an extraordinary retail space. Featuring undulating wooden surfaces that make the store feel like a cave, it’s modelled on a mineral formation and was built with 40,000 separate pieces of wood. Amazingly, everything was assembled by hand by Italian carpenter Claudio Devoto. This gives the shop an aesthetic and a story that lives up to the museum itself.

38. Museum Store at MoMA (NYC)

The new Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) flagship in New York is full of attention-grabbing, bold displays. It features a two-storey bookshelf in the centre, and a 30-foot feature wall comprising 2,000 contemporary art publications. A glass elevator gives visitors the opportunity to truly take in this fantastic structure.

39. NikeLab Re-Creation Center (Chicago)

Louis Vuitton’s artistic director Virgil Abloh has teamed up with Nike to create NikeLab in his hometown of Chicago. Re-creation and sustainability is the big focus here, with walls lined with shoebox paper and the inventory displayed on plain cardboard signage. Seats, flooring and mannequins are all created from ground up Nike sneakers – and customers are invited to contribute their old trainers for this exact purpose. It’s the perfect example of how a cool, engaging space can be used from unusual and unloved materials.

40. Olfactory (NYC)

Olfactory in New York, the first and only physical space of the online perfume brand, focuses entirely on customisation. The nine base fragrances for every customised perfume are beautifully displayed on different colour backdrops – and these dominate the interior of the entire store. Because of this customers are immediately drawn to them to begin their fragrance journey. A large counter sits on the other side of the space where customers can discuss and finalise their concoctions.

41. Pass on Plastic (London)

Pass on Plastic is a pop-up store in London that’s solely focused on raising awareness around the issue of single use plastics. The floor-to-ceiling wallpaper depicts plastic waste such as toothbrushes and plastic bags that from a distance look like a pretty, terrazzo print. Centrally, blue-topped plinths resemble islands in this sea of plastic waste. It’s a very arresting scene and an extremely important space.

42. Prada ‘Hyper Leaves’ (Paris)

Italian fashion retailer Prada has teamed up with historic department store Galeries Lafayette Haussmann to create two pop-ups – one for men and the other for women. The neon green installations are inspired by the theme of ‘wild nature’. The women’s space features a forest pavilion whilst the men’s space has a giant baobab tree at the centre of it. With a colour scheme that’s unforgettable, these pop-ups are making quite a splash.

43. R13 (NYC)

R13’s flagship store in New York is full of innovative design flourishes. Large blocks covered in LED screens display projections but also double up as clothing displays. Visual content, which changes seasonally, is a key feature too giving the space the feel of an exhibition in certain areas. The exposed bricks and pipes contrast well with the modern products and installations.

44. The RealReal (NYC)

The RealReal is changing perceptions around pre-owned clothing having created a hugely popular online marketplace for buyers and sellers of luxury clothing. Its space in Soho, New York, brilliantly conveys the spirit of the brand – passersby would never realise they’re walking past a second-hand clothing shop. The rich and luxurious interiors and beautiful cafe all serve to support this sense of renewed luxury.

45. Reformation (NYC)

The fashion retailer Reformation’s store in Soho, New York, is an excellent physical representation of everything the brand stands for. Large screens allow customers to check stock and order items in different sizes and colours to arrive in fitting rooms – and this simple technology allows the space to not be overloaded with product. Instead it’s sparse, tranquil, and able to include lots of storytelling about its sustainable approach.

46. Rubio (Valencia)

Children’s publisher Rubio’s first retail space in Valencia is a bold and engaging store. It’s divided into very different sections, with an area full of nostalgic design for older generations, and a ‘time machine’ section supported by augmented reality goggles for younger readers. There’s also a ‘tunnel of colour’ – another way the retailer has worked to create a space that lives up to the imagination of the stories it sells.

47. Self-Portrait (NYC)

Self-Portrait’s NYC pop-up featured white and pink floral lace of varying lengths hung from six-metre high wooden plinths. The wall of lace was located in the entryway and designed to envelop customers as soon as they walked through the door. The womenswear brand called it a ‘journey of exploration, touch and discovery’.

48. Starbucks Reserve Roastery (Chicago)

The recently opened Starbucks Roastery in Chicago is the largest Starbucks in the world. It’s a multi-sensory destination featuring a 56-foot cask at the centre that works like an hourglass with the coffee beans filtering through its connected tubes. The spiral escalator wraps around the cask so customers can watch from all angles.

Another notable display is the mural by local artist Eulojio Ortega that depicts the planting, selection and processing of the coffee beans. Much like other Starbucks Reserve Roastery flagships, this is a Disneyland for coffee lovers where experience comes first.

49. Vans (London)

Vans’ new Oxford Street flagship is its largest store in Europe with a big focus on storytelling and customisation. A halfpipe display sits near the entrance, and dozens of product displays feature stories from the brand’s and skateboarding’s past. But the star of the store is the huge customisation desk in the centre, which sits all the way around its edge. Vans artists stand in the middle customising sneakers by hand all day long – and customers are encouraged to join them.

50. YJY Maike Centre (Xian, China)

The YJY Maike Centre Flagship is a bookstore and commercial complex in Xian, China that almost defies belief. The idea was to create a library, gallery and public space – but that doesn’t really do justice to the vast 4,500 metre sq store. Illuminated 10-metre high bookshelves dominate the space and arch over entrances, with a huge spiral staircase in the middle of it all. Lush seating areas rest in amongst the books creating a truly incredible place to read, socialise and flick through potential purchases.

Via Insider Trends

The post The World’s Best Retail Playgrounds Right Now appeared first on This Is Retail.

Pop-ups are now big business for the world’s biggest retailers. All over the world, pop-ups with a wide variety of purposes are opening in an ever wider variety of spaces. Sometimes it’s to launch a new product range, and sometimes it’s to communicate the values and ethics of a brand. Sometimes they’re simply a way for online businesses or non-retail companies to test out the world of physical retail for the first time.

Whatever the reason, there were hundreds that popped up last year. Here are my top 38 pop-up stores of 2019 (in alphabetical order):

1. Amazon smart home

Amazon partnered with several tech brands to launch a smart home experience pop-up in Westfield, London. Powered and controlled by Alexa, visitors could explore a wide range of smart home devices that were all ingeniously linked together. Among other things, visitors could control and alter kitchen appliances, lights, mirrors, plants, blood pressure monitors and more, simply through voice activation. It’s notable that Amazon, a business famous for ‘hurting the high street’, is now constantly opening and trialling physical retail spaces.

2. Banksy ‘GrossDomesticProduct’

Banksy’s ‘GrossDomesticProduct’ pop-up in South London grabbed headlines earlier this year. As you would expect, it was cloaked in mystery. Banksy said the store was opened because of a legal battle with a greetings card company over rights to his own trademarks. The store was designed to replicate the look of an antiques shop, and was filled with various Banksy pieces. According to the infamous street artist, all proceeds went towards buying a new migrant rescue boat.

3. Carlsberg

Carlsberg launched a sustainability-driven packaging and brand identity pop-up in Singapore this year. The experiential marketing activation drew attention to various eco innovations, including ink that’s made using renewable energy, a wax emulsion applied to bottles to double their lifetime, and also a ‘fresh cap’ that reduces oxidation. Consumer trends suggest customers are becoming increasingly keen to buy from brands who strive to be sustainable in a meaningful way – and this pop-up was a clear reaction to that trend.

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4. Collector Square Paris

The vintage clothing platform Collector Square’s Paris pop-up was a big success. It offered a wide-range of second-hand luxury items, including bags, watches and jewelry. It follows in the footsteps of a number of online retailers’ opening physical spaces – with pop-ups being the ideal testing space for bigger physical ambitions and plans.

5. Depop Live

E-commerce fashion app Depop invited 50 of its best sellers to set up shop in its temporary space on Broadway in New York. The two-day event was a physical version of the online marketplace. The event was targeted at its Gen Z community of fashion entrepreneurs, with two days of immersive experiences including music, art installations, panels and workshops. There was even a talk on transparency, sustainability and activism with a panel that included designers and sustainability experts.

6. Facebook Cafe

Earlier this year Facebook opened a pop-up cafe in London. The purpose was to encourage privacy check-ups from Facebook users. The cafe offered free drinks to anyone willing to engage in a privacy check-up – a clear response to criticism over the way Facebook has handled personal data in the past. Many Facebook users suggest they don’t know how to customise their data settings, and this cafe was a smart way of addressing that.

7. Glossier

Cosmetics retailer Glossier opened a pop-up on Floral Street in Covent Garden that was a must-see for fans of the brand. Inspired by British architecture and interiors, the store was decorated in colourful floral wallpaper and carpets which were hand drawn by the in-house creative team. Each room followed a different colour scheme and in true Glossier style they included positive affirmations like ‘you look good’ on the mirrors. There were also lots of fun playful elements such as secret doors taking you from one room to another, adding some theatre to the experience.

8. Gucci apartment

Italian fashion house Gucci created the perfect pop-up to showcase its interiors range. The two-storey ‘apartment’ created for Milan Fashion Week had all the latest additions to its collection. The space was decorated head to toe in the brand’s signature patterns and prints and it was as eccentric and colourful as you would expect. There was also an augmented-reality app to coincide with the opening, through which you could explore historic places across Milan whilst viewing different Décor pieces on-screen as virtual oversized sculptures. It was a fascinating mix of high tech, and high fashion.

9. Harrods Re-Told

Harrods Re-Told was a charity pop-up shop with a difference. Luxuriously designed by Harrods, scented by Jo Malone, and stocked with pre-loved designer clothes donated by brands like Stella McCartney and Ralph Lauren, it was a brilliantly ethical and sustainable concept. Best of all, all proceeds went to Harrods’ charity partner NSPCC.

10. Hello Kitty Cafe

Hello Kitty’s cafe pop-up in London runs until February 2020. It coincides with the 45th anniversary of the much-loved brand, and features a menu built around all the colourful characters. It’s located inside the Tombo cafe in Fitzrovia, and already drawing big crowds for the holiday season.

11. HOT:SECOND

This fascinating and short-lived pop-up in London offered digital garment experiences via world’s first ‘digital clothes’ store, and customers were encouraged to bring in an unwanted item of clothing. In return, they were allowed to try on a garment digitally from a number of leaders in the digital clothes field – but couldn’t actually purchase it.

The digital testing happened in pods hooked up with cameras and magic mirrors. Customers could take a photo of them wearing the digital design which they could then share online. Customisation stations were also in place to upcycle the used items customers brought in. The pop-up acted as a testing space for digital clothing, as retailers and technologists try to work out how it can be effectively monetised.

12. IKEA Fitting Rooms

The home and furniture giant joined forces this year with Virgil Abloh to launch a pop-up in London for its collaboration on the Markerad collection – which consists of furniture and accessories designed for IKEA. The space featured ‘Fitting Rooms’ which included various items from the collection so that Instagrammable moments could be captured.

13. Jacamo pop-up pub

Jacamo’s pop-up pub in London was an interesting social experiment by the men’s clothing brand. It offered a ‘safe space’ for men to discuss their issues, and to get a sense of what the 2020 man would be. Men could claim a drink on the house, listen to live music, get a free trim from the in-house barber, or speak to one of the stylists in residence. It even featured celebrity visitors, including Freddie Flintoff.

14. Jo Malone fragrance exhibition

Jo Malone’s interactive fragrance exhibition in London made big headlines this year. The idea was to create an immersive experience that told the stories of the brand, and the perfumes. It included scent booths, photo booths and a video projection room, as well as workshops that allowed customers to try out marbling and glass tinting. General access was free, but demand was so high that access was limited. There could well be a future in perfume exhibitions.

15. KitKat Sake

Nestle Japan unveiled a pop-up ‘bar’ at Craft Sake Week in Roppongi Hills, Japan, earlier this year. KitKats and sake may not be a common culinary pairing but that didn’t stop it happening. By answering five different questions, Nestle’s platform used AI to decide which of the 15 KitKats on offer was for you. Customers also received a complimentary sake to go with it. For the 11 days the pop-up was open there were 10 new sake selections offered each day. It’s a great example of a brand having fun with tech, and using it to drive footfall.

16. Lego art gallery

Lego launched an art gallery pop-up this year in London. It was a celebration of Lego’s heritage, which featured an exclusive collectible wooden model (Lego began by making wooden toys in Denmark in the 1930s). The pop-up was hugely popular and operated with 30-minute reservable slots. Many retail experts think bookable, exclusive experiences will play a big part in the future of retail.

17. Lidl Chateaux Noir

Lidl is well known for its cheap but quality alcohol – and a new pop-up experience in London called Lidl Chateaux Noir brought its customers closer to the wines they love. The experience started in the Discombobulation chamber – a candy cane striped space that throws off the senses. Visitors were then moved to the Cellar Noir where they sampled the wines in the dark served by waiters wearing night vision goggles.

Lidl wanted to inspire customers to learn about wine quality through taste – and not through bottle design or branding. It’s a great concept, and brilliantly all proceeds went to the NSPCC.

18. London Selfie Factory

The London Selfie Factory pop-up in Westfield was a dream experience for Instagram lovers. It encompassed 20 different dramatic backdrops or booths for quirky social media images. Among the most popular was a bath of pink balls and a 1950s diner. A circuit around the space cost £10 a ticket, and with similar spaces popping up all around the world it seems experience as entertainment is still a big winner.

19. Magnum Pleasure Store

Magnum’s ‘design your own’ Pleasure Store pop-up returned this year in London. The space allows customers to design Magnum ice creams to their own specifications – and many of the creations became Instagram hits! The space is as much about engaging visitors to the store as it is creating some social buzz. The store also played host to a number of cultural events.

20. Matchesfashion.com yacht

The luxury fashion retailer took its brand out to sea for 2019. It teamed up with Pellicano Hotels to set sail along the coast of Italy on a 1930s yacht. The event kicked off at the brand’s London townhouse, 5 Carlos Place, where the boutique was kitted out like the II Pellicano yacht.

The yacht itself was transformed into a resort-wear shop and over the course of eight days it made stops at three of Pellicano’s hotels, allowing customers to explore some of these leading tourist spots. Luxury retail experiences don’t come much more luxurious than this.

21. Miniwiz

A fascinating pop-up opened in Sardinia this year. It didn’t accept money; customers purchased items with plastic they brought in to be repurposed. The store only sold items made in store from donated materials such as coffee cups, water bottles and shopping bags. There was also an associated app where customers built up credit to put towards items in the store. This concept also appeared at London Design Festival and Milan Design Week.

22. Moncler House of Genius

Moncler opened a new ‘House of Genius’ pop-up in Tokyo this year, with other temporary spaces launched in Milan and Paris too. The focus of the space was on live events and in-store creative sessions. It was designed to look like a gallery rather than a retail space, and had a flexible design that allowed events to easily take over. Increasingly, pop-ups are seen as a marketing and brand awareness opportunity rather than a means of driving sales, and this was a classic example.

23. MUJI

Muji launched a long-running design and retail pop-up store in New York earlier this year. Open until January 2020, the SoHo space aims to show off the brand’s design history by highlighting classic archive MUJI products. It also taps into MUJI’s graphic design chops with an exhibition of its posters, including work by Ikko Tanaka. The space shows just how much MUJI has evolved over the years with video screens showing off some of its latest global initiatives, such as the MUJI hotel and MUJI diner.

24. The Museum of Ice Cream

Inspired by the founder Maryellis Bunn’s dream of jumping into a pool of sprinkles, at the MOI you can actually jump into a giant pool of sprinkles! The life-size pool is bubblegum pink and has slides to launch yourself into the pool for that ultimate action shot. The creators believe ice cream to be a symbol of joy and have created a space that ignites all five senses. Everywhere you turn in this wonderland you will find a photo opportunity, from the swing against a backdrop of floor to ceiling whipped cream cans, to the sit-on unicorns or jewelled elephants. It’s heaven for kids and Instagrammers alike.

25. New Balance Pub

Sportswear brand New Balance launched a pub to accompany its sponsorship of the London Marathon. Called The Runaway, it only traded in the currency of miles ran, rather than money, to incentivise people to go for a run. Using the Strava app runners logged their miles which were then exchanged at the pub for drinks and food. The central London location was fitted out like a traditional English pub with dartboards and jukeboxes. It created a lot of buzz, and was a real smart way of bringing runners together around the brand.

26. Paco Rabanne Express Delivery

Paco Rabanne’s Christmas pop-up in London has caught everyone’s attention. That’s mainly because it’s housed in an unusual location: Wapping’s hydraulic power station. The express delivery pop-up includes a series of bespoke installations, a wind tunnel, and visitors are offered their own safety deposit box style mailbox containing exclusive fragrances. Opening pop-ups in unusual locations is an increasingly popular way of creating brand buzz and driving footfall

27. Pantone/LG

The Pantone Colour Institute and electronics company LG teamed up for a pop-up café in SoHo, New York. Café OLED is named after LG’s Organic Light-Emitting Diode TVs which hang on the walls displaying work by multi-disciplinary artist David McLeod, and inspired by Pantone’s summer 2019 colour palette. Local baristas served flavoured latte’s inspired by the four colours of the summer. The space was purely a showroom with no TVs for sale.

28. Patagonia activist cafe

Patagonia launched a pop-up cafe in London this year that played host to climate activist training courses. Training sessions on activism, workshops on carbon literacy and seminars on habitat conservation were all hosted in the trendy Broadway Market location. It also acted as a lending library for important books written about climate change. It was a really smart way of advocating Patagonia’s values, and a good example of how brands can do much more to showcase their commitment to sustainability.

29. Paypal

Electronic payment company Paypal launched a pop-up on one of New York’s busiest shopping streets, Fifth Avenue for the holiday season. It unveiled a series of window displays to support small businesses. The browsing was limited to window shopping but there were QR codes to scan which directed customers to the small businesses’ websites. For the lucky SMEs involved, this was a rare chance to get some coverage on one of the world’s most sought-after retail locations.

30. Polaroid Lab

Polaroid opened a pop-up space in NYC for the first time ever to promote Polaroid Lab – a product that allows users to create Polaroids directly from their smartphone cameras. In the age of digital, this pop-up was all about promoting the wonders of analogue. Visitors enjoyed an immersive installation that featured AR content embedded into each image. The pop-up also hosted photography workshops to build appreciation for pre-digital photography and all the craft involved.

31. PUMA

PUMA launched an innovative pop-up store at Protein Studio in Shoreditch, London. To promote the PUMA LQD CELL trainer, it used interactive experiences to boost mental and physical health. The space was split into a calm zone (breathing exercises and meditation), focused zone (fast paced rhythmic exercises) and energy zone (HIIT exercises). It was a smart concept, connecting its new product with a relevant and uplifting experience in one space.

32. Ruinart Champagne hotel

Fashion designer Jonathan Anderson and e-commerce platform Clos 19 teamed up with Ruinart Champagne to create a pop-up hotel in Notting Hill, London. Open for only 10 nights, the one-room Hotel 1729 offered dinner, bed and breakfast and Ruinart champagne on tap. Anderson, Creative Director of luxury fashion brand Loewe, took inspiration from the House of Ruinart in Reims where he explored the vineyards and cellars. The goal was to take customers on that journey, telling the history of the brand throughout their time at the hotel. The experience was priced at £1200 for two guests but the lucky two were able to invite up to six guests for dinner to share the experience with them.

33. Sainsbury’s ‘meat-free’ butchers

Sainsbury’s ‘meat free’ butchers shop pop-up in London was another space that really caught our eye. It coincided with World Meat Free Week, and featured a variety of Sainsbury’s meat-free products. There were lots of free samples on offer, and experts were on hand to offer tips and recipes. Pop-ups like this are an excellent way of showing that a brand stands for something beyond commercial ambition.

34. Sonos

In celebration of its collaboration with Google Assistant, Sonos launched an ambitious pop-up this year in Soho, London called ‘The Brilliant Sound Experience’. It was an immersive, multi-sensory experience that allowed visitors to not only hear music, but feel and see it. It featured two rooms: one which covered the structure of a song, and another that examined the emotion of music. Elements of songs by The National and Slowthai were broken down and turned into physical shapes. And visitors were encouraged to wear an EEG headset that recorded and displayed brainwaves in reaction to the songs. It was a bold, strange and genuinely ambitious project that showed retail spaces really can be anything.

35. The Skimm

Millennial focused media company The Skimm opened a pop-up in New York that helped to solve holiday shopping needs with an omnichannel approach. It has helped customers to find the perfect gift, with over 150 different items across fitness, fashion and home decor – and is open right up until Christmas eve.

The space also features in-store programming and events, plus a ‘recharging’ lounge sponsored by STARZ for weary shoppers to relax in. Another partner, Batiste, is hosting a hair refresh station where stylists
revitalise customer hairstyles. It’s a smart move for the brand which already has millions of readers who look to it for recommendations.

36. Tiffany Ice Rink

Tiffany & Co. is celebrating the launch of its fragrance with a pop-up ice rink in London’s Covent Garden. The winter wonderland can be accessed via a Tiffany Bridge that’s inspired by Central Park. It features giant Tiffany blue boxes, sparkling snow, and the skating rink itself. Launched in November, it continues until Boxing Day and is ticketed, but some spots are available on the day.

37. Westfield Trending

Westfield London experimented this year with a fascinating three-day pop-up shopping initiative in partnership with AI trend experts Next Atlas. Using the power of machine learning, Next Atlas tracked over 400,000 global ‘influencers’ to find out what fashion items were trending each day. A list of trending items was then given to a Westfield stylist who hunted out those items from the entire shopping centre each morning. It was a really interesting attempt to bring online and offline together, and possibly holds a clue about the future of shopping centres.

38. Wrangler

The acclaimed jeans retailer Wrangler opened a shop and recording studio in Soho, London for five weeks. Its latest collection, ‘Icons’, brought together six of Wrangler’s most classic designs – and this pop-up was designed to promote the brand’s iconic status. Shoppers really did share the small space with bands as the recording studio wasn’t just a gimmick. Wrangler thinks style and music go hand in hand, so this pop-up was a reflection of the brand’s identity. In a world where physical retail is increasingly being used for marketing rather than selling, this hip pop-up made perfect sense.
Inspired by InsiderTrends

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