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Brand Central Stations

GDA Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 11/1/2011 2:00:00 AM

ALTHOUGH THE GIFT BUSINESS OVERALL IS NOT A LARGELY BRAND-CENTRIC ONE ON THE CONSUMER LEVEL, IN TODAY'S HIGHLY COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE, CREATING A BRAND PRESENCE AT RETAIL IS ONE OF THE KEYS TO SUCCESS AND GROWTH FOR A MANUFACTURER. ENCOURAGING THE USE OF BRANDED STORE FIXTURES HAS LONG BEEN A MAINSTAY IN A VENDOR'S BRANDING ARSENAL AND ONE THAT HAS BEEN LARGELY SUCCESSFUL FOR MANY MANUFACTURERS. RECENTLY, THREE DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS TOOK ON NEW YORK IN DIFFERENT WAYS TO ELEVATE THEIR PROFILE WITH THE BUYING PUBLIC.

Ohio Art's nanoblocks display of miniature buildings and animal figures built out of the micro-sized plastic building blocks stopped traffic at the Kinokuniya Book Store in Manhattan. The line includes kits for such iconic architecture as the Taj Mahal and Eiffel Tower.

Acme Studios
Acme Studios, known for its architect and artist-designed pens and accessories, brought the British Invasion to West 45th Street in New York City, when it set up its first in-store shop within Art Brown International Pen Shop, a midtown landmark for more than 80 years and a mecca for pen enthusiasts.
The Beatles set featuring John, Paul, George and Ringo is part of Acme     The British Invasion took the form of an event highlighting the famed pen and accessories company's new Beatles collection of writing instruments, watches and other products, which drew pen collectors to the cozy-sized boutique.
     The Acme Studio shop within Art Brown greets customers just inside the front door and features the whole Acme line in a fixtured look that plays off the Acme logo's primary color scheme and highlights photos across the top of designers associated with the line. The Beatles program also plays a starring role in the boutique.
     "It's the biggest thing Acme has ever done," says Adrian Olabuenaga, cofounder of Acme, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
     Olabuenaga, along with his partner and wife Lesley Bailey, said Acme plans on more in-store shops like the one at Art Brown as part of its strategy to offer more products with "uncommon appeal and merit" in dedicated merchandising formats.
     The Art Brown International Pen Shop was originally one of the premier art supply merchants for graphic artists; as the commercial art and design industry converted to digital media, Art Brown successfully refocused the business on fine writing instruments for pen enthusiasts, making it an ideal venue for the Acme boutique.

Ohio Art's nanoblocks
Marilyn and Warren Brown, Art Brown, with Adrian Olabuenaga and Lesley Bailey, Acme Studios.What seemed at first an odd combination, turned out to be a perfect pairing: toy company Ohio Art's event at the Kinokuniya Book Store in midtown Manhatt an to introduce the nanoblocks line it distributes.
The tiny toy building block system created by the Kawada Company has been a phenomenon in Japan since it launched several years ago. In the U.S., it's off to a good start, judging from the reaction of customers entering the store to browse for books and finding an enticing display of miniature buildings and tiny animals created from the building sets of micro-sized plastic blocks.
During the set-up period, reaction to the line was so positive, the shop increased the amount of space devoted to the line before the event officially began. The sophisticated quality of the line intrigued even the most jaded New Yorkers.

Marimekko
To increase its brand presence in the U.S., Marimekko, the Finnish company known for its bright patt erns and printed fabrics, opened an American flagship store in the Flatiron District in New York. Located in the former "Toy Building" at 200 Fifth Avenue, the 4,000-sq.-ft. store presents a welcoming atmosphere beginning on the sidewalk outside the store, where a cluster of bright fabric bean bag chairs encourage passersby to stop, look and venture inside to explore.Renderings of the Acme boutique.
     Inside, there's a comfortable seating area and a room divider showcasing bolts of Marimekko fabrics to the right of the entrance. Straight ahead from the front, a long display of apparel draws the customer into the store to explore the full scope of Marimekko products in neatly categorized areas, ranging from bedding and bath items to tabletop and home accessories to apparel and accessories for children and adults.
     A unique feature of the store is an on-site fabrication area where customers can have table linens, window treatments, pillow covers and other items made to order - a plus for the sophisticated city dweller in need of a customized look.
     Celebrating its 60th anniversary year, Marimekko has plans to increase its retail presence in the U.S. It currently has in-store shops in six Crate & Barrel locations, with plans to open another 22 by 2013.

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