‘Out of this world’ display takes top nod in annual Design of the Times awards

CHICAGO — You can say the big winner was literally out of this world.

Unilever’s Axe Apollo Astronaut floorstand, designed by RockTenn Merchandising Displays, was named the Design of the Times 2013 Platinum Award Winner by Path to Purchase Institute judges, during a special awards ceremony Wednesday evening, here at the annual Shopper Marketing Expo. 

Unilever beat out 16 other contestants in the drug channel. The display needed to be disruptive in nature and command the shopper's attention, Unilever noted. With a life-size astronaut standing behind the latest Axe has to offer, the display succeeded in commanding the judges attention too.

RockTenn Merchandising Displays accepting the platinum award.

“During the first round of judging in August, judges evaluated each entry using the ‘the Four C’s’ criteria,” said Bill Schober, managing director of the Path to Purchase Institute. “They scored each entry on its ability to command attention, connect with the shopper, convey a clear message and close the sale.”

A special panel of judges convened on site Tuesday to select the final winners for gold, silver and bronze, as well as one platinum winner in each category and one overall “Best of the Times” winner across all retail eight categories, which included drug, food, mass, consumer electronics, convenience, home center/hardware, sporting goods and specialty stores.



Designed by Frank Mayer & Associates, the Wii U Interactive Retail Display Program, a finalist in the mass merchandisers category, was named “Best of the Times.”

Presenting the awards were Natalie Zimny of Target and Louis Dorado of Walgreens.

In addition to the Axe Apollo Astronaut display, here is a look the other 16 finalists in the drug store category, and how each fared in the final voting. (To view photos, click here.)

J&J Medicine Cabinet by International Paper (Gold)

Johnson & Johnson fielded a number of brands within this display that ran in some 2,600 Walgreens stores. The display's primary objective was to use high introductory Balance Rewards point offerings and unique graphics to draw consumers to the endcap and generate incremental sales. The design leverages three insights of successful promotion:

• Surprise — The design must be unexpected to draw the shopper to the display;


• Relevance — Once attracted to the display, the products must be relevant to the target; and


• Information — The offer must be easy to spot and quickly explained.

ZzzQuil 'Snoring' shelf tray by Arc Worldwide/Leo Burnett and Menasha Packaging Co. (Gold)

Procter & Gamble featured this promotion of its new ZzzQuil sleep aid across more than 6,000 Walgreens stores. The objective was to drive trial of ZzzQuil and subsequently grow the overall sleep category. “We knew that our shopper's trust in NyQuil to rest when she has a cold was paramount, so we used the iconic bottle visual that the two brands share and emphasized the ZzzQuil logo to drive brand recognition of the ‘Quil’ line of trusted products,” P&G noted.

J&J Neutrogena endcap by RockTenn Merchandising Displays (Silver)

Johnson & Johnson rolled this display into 5,000 Walgreens stores. The objective of the in-store activation tactic was to drive the Neutrogena brand with a unique endcap coinciding with a national Neutrogena FSI drop (May 5), a Neutrogena SaturDate (May 18) and the Neutrogena "Night at the W" (May 22). The goal was to encourage shoppers to purchase more than one product across Neutrogena skin care, cosmetics, bath, and sun care brands, and the display allowed J&J to bring all of the categories together in one place.

CoverGirl ‘What's New' 2013 displays by RockTenn Merchandising Displays (Silver)

Procter & Gamble sought to promote its new 2013 CoverGirl products in more than 7,000 Walmart, CVS/pharmacy, Target and Walgreens stores. Development of a new sleek “beauty case” to launch the first CoverGirl Gold new item initiatives would prove to be a win-win for logistics and in-store execution excellence, the supplier noted.

Duracell 'Mini Tower' floorstand by RockTenn Merchandising Displays (Silver)

Featuring Duracell Duralock batteries, Procter & Gamble helped to disrupt the consumer-shopping pattern to stop and take a look at the display. Batteries are typically an impulse purchase, and the display is meant to draw the consumer's focus.

Palmolive Coconut & Cotton Glorifier by Straza Designers (Bronze)

Colgate-Palmolive Colombia sought to introduce shoppers in that country to a variant of the brand with its display that appeared in 100 drug stores in Colombia over an eight-month period. The display depicts the coconut converting into a natural soap. Also part of the display, a cotton stem conveys a sense of softness associated with the product.

Rimmel 'London Look' by Menasha Packaging Co. (Bronze)

In promoting its Rimmel Cosmetics, Coty put together a display that was featured in more than 4,000 Walgreens stores. The objective was to lift sales, build Coty's Rimmel brand and launch two exclusive-to-Walgreens lines of lipstick and nail polish while promoting top seasonal foundations and a new mascara. The combination delivers plentiful stock and one-stop shopping for the "London Look."

Someday by Justin Bieber by Sonoco Display and Packaging (Bronze)

Elizabeth Arden put together this display in 5,000 Walgreens stores to drive awareness and trial for the new fragrance, Someday by Justin Bieber, at drug and mass retailers, and to obtain prime, high-visibility placement at Walgreens on its étagère fixture. According to Elizabeth Arden, incorporating fragrance tester-bottles to display vehicles is critically important in mass retail. Testers perform as a "silent" sales associate in this environment, providing an authentic sampling of the fragrance and bottle to shoppers.

belVita countertop display by Meridian Display (Bronze)

Kraft Foods rolled this display out across 300 drug, convenience and grocery stores in Puerto Rico. The objective of placing the belVita breakfast bars at the cash register in a single-serving size was to introduce shoppers to the new, healthy, on-the-go breakfast option.

L'Oréal new items tower by Pratt Industries (Bronze)

L'Oréal Cosmetics unveiled this display across more than 6,000 Walgreens stores to increase consumer awareness for its newest product offerings, and to create an innovative, interactive buying experience for the shopper. The tower needed to fit within an enclosed three-sided Walgreens space and draw the shoppers’ attention.

SensatioNail Island Fever counter unit by Menasha Packaging Co. (Bronze)

Pacific World promoted its gel nail supplies in an effort to leverage its leadership position in the gel polish category and showcase its vibrant array of summer shades. SensatioNail's target shoppers are women, ages 18 years to 54 years, with household incomes of more than $50,000. When shopping, they expect to see what’s new and want to be delighted.

Pantene Expert Collection floorstand by Arc Worldwide/Leo Burnett (Bronze)