This End Up

To stop passing shoppers in their tracks, Bette and Jim Langford, owners of Serendipity Cards and Gifts in Port Washington, Wisconsin, upended their holiday window display. The vignette featured a familiar image of Christmas morning complete with chair, rocking horse, wrapped presents, decorated tree, and a moving doll — all suspended from the ceiling! The window's floor was covered with ceiling tiles and a working ceiling fan and light that caught the attention of passersby. Reversed wall decor (pictures facing upwards, candle sconces hanging upside down) drew customers' eyes upward to the ceiling. Window signage read, in part, "Don't let the holidays Turn Your Life UPSIDE DOWN (Upside down was printed, of course, upside down).

It took the Langfords two months to find the props they needed for their inventive display. Most of the items were acquired with little expense from secondhand stores or were donated by friends. But there were plenty of challenges when it came to hanging the display. To get started, Bette used her computer and some trial and error experiments to design a set that could be secured to the ceiling.

Little touches, such as the hair on the doll, the chain on the fan, the ornaments on the tree, and the mane on the rocking horse all had to "hang" up instead of down. Candy had to stick to the "bottom" of the half-full jar, presents had to "sit" on the table. Bette solved this problem with a combination of glue and screws, and a few secret solutions that she declined to divulge.

In addition, the couple had to provide power to the moving items (the fan, the doll, and a little dog) and make sure that they would work upside down. All were plugged into a timer that kept them operating 12 hours a day.

The display took two days to install, during which time the Langfords covered Serendipity's windows with sheets to maintain an air of mystery. The display was unveiled the day after Thanksgiving 2001.

The unique window display evoked a response in just about every viewer. Some were puzzled, but most thought it funny. It was particularly effective in attracting new customers. "Many came in simply because the window was so radically different," says Bette. "They wanted to find out more about us and what kind of store we were, that we would do something so crazy."

One customer returned four times, bringing other people to see the display. Others stuck their heads in to say, "I don't need anything today but I'll remember you. Great window." Another local shop owner said her customers were talking about it all the time. The display especially appealed to kids, who generally noticed it before their parents because they are naturally always looking up. One teenager stopped by to say he thought it was "cool."

Serendipity's sales for December 2001 went up an incredible 187.5 percent over the month before, and were 25 percent higher than December 2000. Giving shoppers a new perspective and something to laugh about paid off so well that the Langfords may repeat the display this year, adding a few refinements.