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2009 Design Award Winners

Visual Presentation Awards

Visual Presentation Award

Apple: Back to School Window 162 Apple Stores

This simple, yet striking visual presentation features a molded, large-format replica iPod touch and iPod nanos created from vacuum-formed plastic with integrated video features. A single sheet board-printed, 8-ft. by 12-ft. “chalkboard” lexan panel conveys the back-to-school message, while the iPod nanos featured light boxes and the iPod touch had integrated functioning video displays.

Visual Presentation Award

Apple: Cherry Blossom nano Window 155 Apple Stores

A collage of pink cherry blossoms creates a colorful backdrop to the cherry pink, large-scale replica iPod nano with integrated lightbox. Four large-format banners, measuring 108 in. square, were centered, die-cut, and layered to create a tunnel view of the vacuum-formed plastic product. The effect of the multiple mesh banners creates depth that gave the blossom “branches,” The visual gave stores a sense of spring, followed through in the retailer’s print media.

Visual Presentation Award

Apple: Holiday Santa iPhone Window 197 Apple Stores

A life-size, fiberglass Santa holding a working iPhone stands before a single-sheet, 8-by-12-ft. lexan board-printed graphic featuring Apple’s product collection. “The challenge of this window was getting the characters just right,” say visual designers. “It took months of back-and-forth to ensure the correct proportions and scale.” Lite Brite Neon headphones illuminate the window, with “snow” surrounding Santa’s feet.

Visual Presentation Award

Bass Pro Shop General Store: Luggage Balcony Presentation Leeds, Ala.

Creating a historically accurate design, designers researched historical models of general stores and their related fabrication methods, seeking vintage luggage to be stacked on the balcony of this 2,600-sq.-ft.-store-within-a-200,000-sq.-ft.-store concept. The authentic atmosphere is designed to invite customers to stay and experience the shop. Using reclaimed props reinforced the outdoor shop’s environmental message.

Visual Presentation Award

Chedraui: Oval Fabric Ceiling Elements Guadalajara City

This hypermarket’s produce department features airy, oval, 14-by-28-ft. fabric ceiling panels in white and olive green print that bring the outdoors in. White translucent spandex fabric allows natural light from overhead skylights to travel through and illuminate the store, allowing for a reduction in electric lights. The panels are reused to reinforce the wayfinding system, as well, mirroring the colors in the departmental signage.

Visual Presentation Award

Lion Brand Yarn Studio: Yarn Sample Trees New York City

For the 130-year-old wholesaler’s first retail store, the best visuals proved to be the products themselves, as evidenced in these yarn sample trees. Made from galvanized steel pipes and threaded fittings, the industrial-looking, 5-ft.-tall display provides an intriguing visual while inviting customers to try out yarns. The colors reinforce the merchandise options in the store.

Visual Presentation Award

North Face (The): Atrium Staircase Mural Boise, Idaho

Large-scale graphic murals are a standard component in all North Face stores, which typically feature ceiling heights at least 14 ft. Here, the Boise store ceilings are only 10 ft. so designers placed the mural in the atrium stairwell, where a 14-ft. height was created by connecting the wall to the second floor, drawing customers upstairs. Using Eco-Solvent inks and biodegradable, chlorine-free, FSC-certified pulp with 20 percent post-consumer recycled content, the mural, applied using water-based wallpaper paste, stays true to The North Face’s eco-friendly stance.

Visual Presentation Award

REI Round Rock: Peaks Round Rock, Texas

Encouraging customers to get outdoors, entry peaks reminiscent of area mountains set the tone, providing dynamic geology and excitement in outdoor exploration. The peaks play a large role in customer’s first impressions and act as a backdrop to the merchandise, giving an outdoor scale to the mannequins and store fixtures below. Elegant wood stains and glacial acrylic accents complete the theatrical backdrop.

Visual Presentation Award

Stark & Whyte: Vestibule Graphic Brossard, PQ, Canada

Creating a store that had history and appeared to be an imported concept from the Old World, designers meshed a turn-of-the-century British trading concept with typical boutique elements. Fonts and logos in vanilla white over chocolate brown combined antique and modern styles, as witnessed in the oversized 12-ft. by 8-ft. vestibule graphic of acrylic and self-adhesive vinyl printed with a shadowed chef, recognizable kitchen utensils, and a French quote on the joys of cooking.

Visual Presentation Award

Timberland PRO: Peat Bog Graphic Panel Las Vegas Pop-up Store

Offering durable work gear, Timberland PRO created a tradeshow space designed and assembled to look like a construction site. Hazardous working conditions and product durability are called out through iconic, highly visible signage, such as this peat bog graphic panel surrounded by orange frames and fixtures. The 174-by-96-in. panel focuses on Timberland's "everyday heroes" customer and was printed using traditional inks.

Visual Presentation Award

VANOC Olympic Store: Torch Tree & S-wall Presentation Grouping Hudson Bay Company, Vancouver, BC, Canada

This dynamic, branded environment promoting Olympic merchandise is recipient of A.R.E.’s first Visual Presentation of the Year award. The visual elements feature official VANOC colors, graphics, and curves exemplifying the marketing message of a stylized Olympic games. The official colors are represented in the 15-ft.-tall and 60-ft.-wide focal “torch tree” column feature. The graceful curves of the tree’s 30-ft-long branches are repeated in the 70-ft. S-wall that guides customers to merchandise. Constructed of polished stainless steel, the compound surface arches support the structure using steel reinforcement, allowing ribbons to be built using lightweight aluminum framing. Printed fabric, stretch and vinyl fabric, a laminate millwork base with colored acrylic, and up-lit glass make up the rest of the striking visual.

Visual Presentation Award

World of Disney NYC 2008: Holiday Foyer 5th Ave. @ 55th Street, New York City

This holiday foyer had customers enter an enchanted forest, complete with natural foliage overhead. Lightly flocked brush cascaded down, dripping with ice crystal strands and engulfed in twinkling lights. Designed entirely by Trimco Display, the “Crystal Foyer,” 25 ft. by 12 ft., welcomed visitors through double-etched glass doors into the World of Disney with a traditional holiday environment that evoked a warm, homey, and comfortable time in our past.