Prim and propaganda

I ventured into the Saks store last weekend and was shocked to see the boldness of their new advertising campaign. Playing off heavily on a constructivist era aesthetic, the entire store was blanketed with the signage and installations. I applaud Saks for the guts to go with such a strong visual style and to do it whole-heartedly. Though I have to wonder how effective the campaign is and how it speaks to their target audience.

I became familiar with the design style in school and had attempted to incorporate elements into my work several times. The usual response is the client or art director freaking out. I would’ve loved to have sat in on the concept pitch and see how the design studio got Saks to OK the direction.

This economy probably has companies resorting to more extreme measures to attract consumers, and I’d be interested in seeing how this look works (or doesn’t work) for Saks. As a designer, it’s always great to see something different and daring, but when there’s no substantial reasoning behind the approach, the effect is fleeting. I love the style and how solid the implementation is, but know that it has connotations to people that don’t necessarily promote a positive shopping environment.

Kudos to NotCot for digging up the backstory and visuals behind the campaign.