Barneys’ Madison Ave. flagship store has collaborated with Walt Disney Co. to give its retail stores a jolt of color and character for the all-important holiday shopping season.
With a combination of electric lights, music and Disney characters, the “Electric Holiday” campaign will leverage technology in an interesting way to promote the new venture. Window displays will be accompanied by a Disney-worthy 3D electric light show, with an original musical score by Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino.
In addition to the tech-friendly window displays, the retailer also plans to host an ‘Electric Holiday’ fashion show. The theme is a riff on Disney’s famous electrical parade, including special lighting installations that mock the flashbulbs of fashion runways.
To lend an authentic fashion-week feel to the whole affair, there will also be a short video presentation that includes the featured designers, revered hair and makeup artists, photographers, celebrities, respected journalists and editors too. The result depicts a unique, fantasy Paris show with all of the real-world elements of backstage, front-row and runway – except in illustrated form.
“What is really important in the film is getting all of the details of how that world works,” says Dennis Freedman, Creative Director of Barney’s NY. “That was the real challenge and involved a whole education process.“The animator and I sat next to each other and went over every detail of the clothes – how they’re made, what material, how they would move – to get them as accurate as we possibly could.”
This being a partnership with Disney Consumer Products there is definitely going to be some fantastical stylish merchandise involved, including collectible Vinylmation figures designed by Paul Smith and Diane Von Furstenberg, holiday ornaments and probably the most unique piece from these collaborated designs will be Mickey Mouse ears designed by Rag & Bone and L’Wren Scott.
The Electric Holiday campaign and the Madison Avenue flagship’s windows will be unveiled on November 14.