‘Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.’ – Walt Disney
Movies can and should inspire the audience to look at life differently. Most can relate to seeing a movie as a child and taking the characters and stories with you. You dreamed… You imagined…You felt good.
The Movie Industry has had a long relationship with the Jewelry Industry. Getting jewelry on a celebrity is a big plus to marketing and branding that company. As a retailer there are other ways to have Hollywood be an inspiration to your business. The Walt Disney live action film Cinderella has hit the silver screen and everywhere from New York to the Home Shopping Network is trying to recreate some magic for their customers to help bring in some magical sales. On my trip to NYC I came across some retailers inspired by Cinderella and will look at ways that you might adapt your venue for future movie inspired opportunities.
Inspiration 1: Disney Store Display: Organize your pieces in one area.
Looking at the Disney store from the outside it may feel like the experience could be overwhelming with all the characters, music and videos playing but it is organized so what you’re looking for can be found easily. The stores two main attractions Cinderella and Frozen are upfront and each have their own display area. Keeping your related products in one labeled area will be much better for the customer experience than having items scattered about hoping the customer will be intrigued to look around.
Inspiration 2: Saks Fifth Avenue: Keep the item concepts simple but make the display play to the fantasy world that they are a part of.
Usually Store windows, especially jewelry stores are crowded with merchandise. You pause for a moment to look but it can be overwhelming and you walk away thinking, ‘Where would I wear that?’ Not this display at Saks….
I watched the crowd gaze at the dresses from the movie and imagine the fantasy that they belong to. Now Saks knows that most won’t want to purchase Cinderella’s or the Fairy Godmother’s dress but in the windows next to it designer shoes were displayed keeping with the theme on a swing (it’s a part in the movie). There were only 3 in a window with the designer labeled on the glass window so once inside you could at least get closer to choosing your own glass slipper.
Inspiration 3: Heidi Daus Online: Be inspired to create your own version of magic
Merchandise inspired by movies is common but commercializing on it sooner rather than later is key to benefiting from the trend. Following Heidi Daus Facebook page she did not wait until the movie came out to introduce her collection she started showing bits and pieces to lead up to her launch on the Home Shopping Network of her gorgeous creations. The jewelry is not used in the movie but the artistic flare and personal interpretation of jewelry for Cinderella makes it feel like a more grown up option to still enjoy the magic of this new take on the classic.
I hope you enjoyed the photos and were inspired by some of the comments. This is a two part series that will conclude with a look at product placement and branding for items in different movies, why some succeed in creating buzz and sales and others fall short of expectations.