Pay attention retailers and brands big and small, it doesn’t matter how much or how little money you throw at something, if the story is lost, you lose your audience; tell the story. In the words of William Forrester; PUNCH THE KEYS! From Finding Forrester, one of the best movies of all time.
Selfridges, oh my heart of hearts Selfridges… you stole my breath away like a groom turning around to peek at his bride, making her way up the aisle to him, to their future, that first look and he never looks away because his life flashes right before his eyes in that moment, and everything comes together. Selfridges gave us moments big and small, from our childhood, this was a love letter to our younger selves, to remind us of the simplicity of the world and the beauty of letting your mind wonder and the magic that can come of such wondering. This is Disney at its very finest, very coolest and most heartwarming.
After the mash up of last year, I mean that was a holiday window of if Christmas was high on speed or were they inadvertently trying to warn us of the dangers of over consumption which we are wont to do during the holidays? This window is perfection. Concept, execution, storytelling, a master class in everything a good Christmas window ought to be; fantastical, enchanting, nostalgic, wonder, magic. It does not get more all those words and feelings than Disney!! OMG this window pulled out all the stops, there was story telling each window its own story, there was nostalgia, each window a special memory from our childhood, no matter the age and if you are new to this, it has become a core memory for your future self. Each window brought the joy of Christmas whilst waving the magic wand and casting a spell over us, the observer. Each window whole as it was just pure bliss. This is story telling at its finest, nothing overwhelmed, each stood in its own powerful right and as for the storytelling, I knew every single moment, every single story from every single window.
And every single moment knew me. It was akin to meeting an old friend from my childhood; a meet cute that reminds you that no matter how far life throws you, in your heart is where you live for those who truly love you.
I have never loved a window as much as I love this and I have loved a lot of windows but this right here, will be a hard one to beat. You can instantly tell, this was a team dedicated to creating a lasting memory and paying homage to all our childhoods. This is a team that loved this window and was happy to bring these moments to us. When Disney does a window, it is no small fry because this is its legacy, what it means to children growing up, the lasting impact of those stories, what we bring to them and what we take away from them, it was all injected in this divine execution; yes I said it; divine because this was nothing short of DIVINE.
Hold on to the magic it says and those many moments when I could not possibly look away, I held on and I am still holding on and will always hold on.