Mannequins are wonderful props for adding life to your store displays. With proper lighting and a few inventive ideas you can really make a mannequin come alive. Consider the difference in a little girl mannequin wearing a pretty Christmas dress and the same little girl opening a gift, discovering the teddy bear of her dreams and her parents looking lovingly on her. Emotion will really get your customers into the Christmas spirit. Tug at their heartstrings a little and it could really pay off.
The first step is to choose the outfits that you would like to display. Layering works great on mannequins and you can feature many different products at once. Be careful not to overdo it. You don't want to detract attention away from the feeling that you're going to convey. Children mannequins and life-like baby dolls are great for getting to parents' hearts. Imagine children sleeping in their beds, while Dad dressed as Santa sneaks a kiss. This can be a very touching scene, especially if Mom is watching this tender moment. The more emotions you can display, the more memorable and effective your display will be.
The use of animals is effective as well. Let's say that the child is receiving his first puppy for Christmas. The puppy sneaking out of the box is cute, but keep the emotion in mind. The little boy plays a major part in pulling this scene together. He could discover the puppy after it destroyed its box and be shocked. He could sneak down early and play with the puppy as Santa's legs are disappearing up the chimney. His parents could discover him downstairs curled up asleep with the puppy by the fire. The puppy could have escaped the gift and went to sleep with the little boy in his bed. The possibilities are really endless.
If you don't specialize in children's clothing, you could go for a romantic approach. A husband and wife snuggled up opening gifts shows a lot more affection than two mannequins standing wearing clothes. If you don't want to get elaborate, a simple touch can be meaningful. Mannequins facing straight forward doesn't really mean anything. A woman walking away and a man sneaking a small gift wrapped box into her pocket has meaning. Angled mannequins are generally more appealing to the eye than dead-on straight forward ones. Another idea is to have the man and woman meeting. She drops her gifts and as he's helping her recover, they exchange a long stare, or he presents her with an engagement ring.
Plan out your display far enough in advance to order what ever props you may need. Decide on which emotion you would like to portray and go for it. You can even select the holiday music in your store to match the theme. Don't forget about the lighting. A dimly lit display draws very little attention, no matter how imaginative the theme is. Have fun with it and don't hold back. Enjoy your holiday season and make the most of your front window displays.
