design:retail - June 2018 - 35

"The moment when she meets her
doll is the beginning of a lifetime of
memories, and it starts here."
-ROBYN NOVAK, FRCH DESIGN WORLDWIDE

hen you see a girl
walking down the
street squeezing her
American Girl doll
while holding on to her
mother's hand or riding
on the train with her aunt
and her doll, you know exactly
where they are heading-and you
know this is a special moment that will create a
lasting memory. That is exactly what the new
37,000-sq.-ft. American Girl Store of the Future
flagship at 75 Rockefeller Plaza in New York is all
about-enhancing the connection between girl
and doll, and fostering memorable experiences.
"American Girl's new Rockefeller Plaza location
was a perfect opportunity for us to redefine the future
of retail for girls-just like we did in 1998 with the first
American Girl Place in Chicago," explains Barbara
Carlson, senior director, global creative for American
Girl/Mattel. "The stunning New York flagship features
an all-new design that puts girls squarely at the center
and offers customers a more dynamic experience in
one of the city's most iconic locations."
The new brand and store experiences were crafted and designed by Cincinnati-based FRCH Design
Worldwide. Redefining this retail journey began
with a shop-along research phase, and the FRCH
team spoke to moms and girls about the shopping
experience, looking for opportunities to evolve it.

"Based on the research, this store gave us the
opportunity to explore the concept of elevating and
celebrating the connection between a girl and her
doll. The moment when she meets her doll is the
beginning of a lifetime of memories, and it starts
here," says Robyn Novak, vice president and creative managing director at FRCH.
The enhanced brand experience begins before
families even reach the store. Working with digital
agency MJD Interactive, the process of planning a
seamless trip was improved, making it easy to set up
appointments and create a schedule for the day. To
build excitement for the journey ahead, a dramatic
sense of arrival was created at the 51st Street entry that
faces Rockefeller Center. The larger-than-life storefront presentation welcomes visitors to the new world
at American Girl. The grand site and scale of the space
allows the team to bring stories to life in the window
that engage, entertain and draw customers in.
"The first-floor experience is about getting the
young customers excited and connected with the
brand," Novak says. "It is about personalization
and customization."
From the 51st Street entrance, a pop-up shop
allows the store to complement the larger-than-life
storefront window story. A major feature off the 52nd
Street entrance is a signature experience-the Truly
Me area. With 40 dolls to choose from, girls can select
the doll that looks closest to them or enjoy the new
Create Your Own Design Studio with customizable
← The Truly Me area is
a distinct destination
where girls can select
or customize a doll
that best matches
their style and spirt.
Inset photo courtesy
of FRCH DESIGN
WORLDWIDE

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - June 2018