Uniqlo Wins Top Honors in VMSD Visual Competition

Uniqlo’s display of miniature-sized clothing and handmade props for its spring collection preview took home Best of Show honors in VMSD’s 16th annual International Visual Competition. Drawing entries from around the globe, the competition is the only one of its kind devised to showcase visual display achievements of limited shelf life, including visual merchandising, storewide promotions and window displays.

The Uniqlo display, designed by visual director Mihee Yi and marketing manager Jean-Emmanuel Shein, featured a gallery-like setting for doll-sized outfits that hung inside 30 small glass boxes fitted with Fresnel lenses that wrapped around a red, floor-to-ceiling box inside the New York store. Yi says the display created quite a buzz among shoppers. “It was amazing how much time people spent looking at the windows,” she says.

The display also caught the attention of this year’s judging panel. “It’s such a great gesture of authenticity,” says judge David Hogrefe, managing director, Fitch (Powell, Ohio). “The repetition of squares is so simple but the focus is on the quality.”
Steve McGowan, executive creative director at Landor, a Cincinnati-based branding firm, added that the presentation “totally captures your imagination and draws you in. You’re going to look inside every one of those boxes.”

In all, judges handed out eight first place awards and 8 awards of merit. This year’s judging panel included: Beth Harlor, associate director, CBDi Design, Procter & Gamble; Brent Hodge, visual manager, Williams-Sonoma Home; David Hogrefe, managing director, Fitch; Jay Kratz, architect, design manager, Luxottica Retail; Steve McGowan, executive creative director, Landor; and Mari Miura, director, interior design, FRCH Design Worldwide.

For more on this year’s competition, check out the August issue of VMSD, as well as online for more on the individual winning projects listed below.

First Place Awards
Seasonal Promotions:
Uniqlo, New York – “Red Gallery – Miniature” 09 Spring Preview
 

In-store accessories/beauty/shoes presentation:
Converse, London – 1Hund(RED) Exhibition

Non-holiday window display, special theme:
adidas, Europe – Passion WOW Windows

Non-holiday window display, apparel:
Hugo Boss, Berlin, Germany – Visual Display Campaign

Non-holiday window display, Event:
Macy’s Herald Square, New York – The Seven Wonders of Fashion, Flower Show 2008

Non-holiday window display, cause-related:
Hudson’s Bay Co., Toronto – “Cashmere” Cancer Awareness windows

Holiday window display:
Macy’s Herald Square, New York – Believe

Visual technology in a visual display :
Asian Paints Colour Store, Mumbai, India – Color Display

Awards of Merit
In-store accessories/beauty/shoes presentation:
Hearts on Fire, Taipei, Taiwan – Spring!

Seasonal promotion:
Macy’s, Chicago – Flora Nova Event

Seasonal promotion:
World of Coca Cola, Atlanta – Holiday 2008

In-store seasonal promotion:
Macy’s, National – Believe

Seasonal promotion:
Belmar Outdoor Shopping District, Lakewood, Colo. – Holiday 2008

Non-holiday window display:
Holt Renfrew, Toronto – Typography

Non-holiday window display:
Holt Renfrew, Toronto – Graffiti

Non-holiday window display:
Macy’s Herald Square, New York – Earth Day 2008