InsightsThe best of Christmas advertising: display windows
The holiday season sees world famous retailers in the shopping hotspots of London, New York and Paris wowing passers-by with their over-the-top holiday window displays to excite and delight. From magical characters, fantastical lands and traditional stories reimagined to a taste of the old and new to appeal to the masses and keep the kids entertained for a moment or two.
Get lost with us in the magic of Christmas as we look at our top 5 window displays from across the globe.
Selfridges, London
The much-loved London market takes centre stage this year, with tableaux’s featuring mannequins dressed in the season’s latest fashion. Complete with 5,000 painted Brussels sprouts and a pearly button- adorned Father Christmas, the windows amplify the store’s “With Love From” holiday theme.
Harrods, London
Harrods has joined forces with Dolce & Gabbana for their festive offering. Sleek, elegant, full of fun and Italian spirit the windows feature Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in puppet form.
Liberty, London
Inspired by Clement Clarke Moore’s poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas” Liberty London’s display pays homage to Christmas Eve. Miniature replicas of Tudor style buildings complete with snow-dusted rooftops of the city eagerly waiting for Christmas day. Beautiful shoes and handbags add to each of the scene giving passers-by plenty to wish for.
Bergdorf Goodman, New York
Paying homage to it’s home, Bergdorf Goodman continues its tradition of showcasing New York’s finest arts and cultural societies with a fanatastical window display. Entitled, “To New York with Love”, the windows capture the city’s love and appreciation for the visual arts, history, music and film. Organisations included this year are the American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Museum of Moving Image, New-York Historical Society.
Printemps, Paris
This year’s theme is magic, this famed department store has its 11 windows filled with 6 beautiful tableau’s named, “Christmas, the Extraordinary Voyage of Gifts”. The windows follow the magical journey of kid explorers, Jules and Violette hoping around the globe exploring the store’s 6 partner brands.
Saks Fifth Avenue, New York
Saks Fifth Avenue's "Once Upon a Holiday" window display has different scenes from Snow White and The Seven Dwarves The magical bonus? Every window display is animated—a first in the store's 94-year history.
Bloomingdale’s, New York
The department store has partnered with Swarovski and 20th Century Fox’s latest film, The Greatest Showman, to inspire and craft its seasonal displays this year. Based on scenes in the movie, which recounts the story of circus visionary P.T. Barney these extravagant displays are each paired with the song that inspired it. As if optical illusions and circus scenes weren't enough, the whimsical windows are illuminated by more than 7.6 million Swarovski crystals.
Barney’s, New York
Barneys has partnered with artists Simon and Nikolai Haas of The Haas Brothers, the duo's art collective, to create its eclectic window designs, which trace the ages of the earth, from past to present, and on through the imagined future. The displays begin with "Primordial", and work their up through "Utopia," "Millennium," and "Mushroom Singularity," featuring characters like Rainbow Baggins, the rainbow zebra, and Rhinona Wyder the rhino along the way.
