From major global brands to independent stores, the holiday pop-up has become a marketing staple. Here’s a selection of seasonal pop-up concepts and other activations from across the United States.
A wall of Disney’s Tsum Tsum characters is the backdrop for a photo opportunity. The pop-up contains a number of digital elements such as R.F.I.D. badges that can be scanned at various stations to a digital shopping list. Before leaving, guests can purchase the items.
Bringing a special pop-up edition of its holiday catalog to life, Pier 1 Imports created a living pop-up book installation in an empty storefront in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. The space used vignettes to highlight Christmas style and decor trends, including one called Plaid Tidings (pictured).
For the pop-up’s press preview, Pier 1 chose Mariah Carey for a brief appearance. Carey made remarks and posed for photos at the December 1 event. A video presentation of the pop-up storybook features narration by Carey.
A 14-person table featured a fully loaded holiday table, complete with place settings for Santa and Mrs. Claus and Santa’s reindeer.
At the pop-up’s entrance, decor extended overhead to a display of ornaments, greenery, and holly berry garlands. The pop-up was open from December 2 to 6.
Target Wonderland, a 16,000-square-foot pop-up shop in New York’s meatpacking district, turns toys, homewares, and other goods from the retailer into holiday decor. In one example, a Christmas tree is made from 320 Hulk hands.
Visitors can climb aboard a Lego pirate ship dubbed the S.S. Free Shipping. The store opened December 9 and runs through December 22.
The Washington bar Mockingbird Hill has temporarily changed its concept to become the holiday-theme Miracle on Seventh Street through December 24. The venue redecorated with kitschy Christmas decor and included a “Hanukkah Hangout” complete with a dreidel chandelier. Along with a list of holiday cocktails named after holiday references in pop culture, the bar is offering activities such as Christmas classic movie nights and Manischewitz Pong competitions.
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving—traditionally one of the busiest travel days of the year—J. Crew and JetBlue offered a respite for harried travelers. A pop-up installation at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport had four claw machines offering treats such as jewelry, hats, and gloves from J. Crew as well as JetBlue travel certificates.
Brooklyn-based artist Greg LaMarche designed the colorful space. Complimentary catering came courtesy of vendors from J.F.K.’s Terminal 5: Starbucks, Baked By Melissa, Cibo, and Ben & Jerry’s. Other activities included a temporary tattoo station and a photo booth.
Another riff on the claw game idea came from Barclaycard, which offered passersby in New York’s Union Square a chance to play the classic arcade game in a tricked-out truck. Gift cards of various values were wrapped in presents that people tried to grab with the claw. The December 5 event also had a give-back component: Each card contained ​a secret dollar amount that Barclaycard will put toward buying toys for the charity Toys for Tots. BMF Media produced the activation.
Guests at Nintendo’s Winter Wonderland could play games on new Nintendo 3DS XL systems in a festival holiday atmosphere. Alongside the blue and white holiday decor were figurines of Nintendo’s Amiibo characters. ESE Lifestyle produced the event, which took place in November at the London West Hollywood hotel in Los Angeles.
The millennial-friendly office supply company Poppin hosted a Friendsgiving event at its New York showroom in November. The event combined elements of Thanksgiving and Christmas by encouraging guests to give thanks and pick out gifts for friends, family, and co-workers. Gift-wrapping services using Knot & Bow’s quirky paper were available, and cards from Crumple & Toss along with ink stamps and markers let guests compose their own notes.
Viceroy Santa Monica library has taken a sweet turn as the Sugarfina Holiday Lounge Pop-Up. The boutique candy company collaborated on a set of holiday-theme cocktails inspired by its treats, including the Love Story, which mixes creme de mure, lemon juice, white wine, and sparkling wine, along with a Sugarfina Kir Royal candy garnish. Groups who host their holiday party at the hotel can add a Sugarfina holiday candy cart with the brand’s sweets arrayed in apothecary jars and martini glasses. Guests can sample the treats or assemble take-home bags as gifts.
Bringing a physical presence to an online marketplace, the Tictail Market NY is a holiday pop-up for the brand, which features emerging designers of apparel and home goods. Stockholm-based Tictail brings a Scandinavian cool to the store, located on New York’s Lower East Side, with custom-designed blond wood displays and white painted bricks. It’s Tictail’s second version of the pop-up, and this year it also is adding markets in Paris and Stockholm. “Having a physical pop-up is a complement to our online community,” says Livia Moore, Tictail’s community manager. “It becomes a meeting space for our brands.” The market will remain open through December 22.
