Never has the word Pantone been promoted so boldly in the public domain.

Pantone is the name given to the colour chart used by graphic designers and printers in specifying artwork for print and other production jobs. It's a sort of giant paint chart with thousands of permutations. In the graphics industry it holds Biblical status; in broader society few would have a clue what it was.

Not so Londoners - thanks to department store Selfridges.

In another stunning example of the marketing mojo the store has managed to hold onto longer than any other British retail brand, Selfridges built its entire 100th birthday celebrations around Pantone 109, the bold yellow synonymous with the brand from its bags to its logo.

It's such a simple - and effective marketing concept - again reasserting why this department store ranks amongst the world's best in a retail sector broadly losing its reason for being.

The centenary celebrations ran from May through to the end of August and the creative use of yellow throughout the store not only reinforced its heritage but offered a focal point and additional reason to visit.

A whole calendar of events and promotions linked by yellow was planned - from weekly instore performances by Mariano Robles (aka DJ Yellow) and a host of stars performing on 'The Big Yellow Stage' through to static indoor sculptures, including an installation comprising 1500 paper aeroplanes (yellow of course) reflecting the store's links with aviation pioneers in the 1910s and 20s.

Most intriguing was a display of yellow products created in partnership with suppliers and available for purchase as a limited edition from the store's Wonder Room. The items ranged from a yellow classic Coke bottle and a Pantone 109C coffee mug through to trainers by Converse, hand bags by Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs, yellow-stitched Levi 501s and even a limited edition Blackberry.

A stunning commemorative 60 page A3 magazine Selfridges & Co 100 Art, Life, Shopping magazine told a superbly illustrated story of the brand and store, from the original construction of the Oxford St building through to the marketing extravanganzas of later years when Selfridges built promotions around such themes as Bollywood, the body and Brazil.

In the basement, Selfridges' gallery hosted a centennial exhibition with a fascinating array of photography and memorabilia.

Selfridges has always impressed Inside Retailing with its commitment to excellence in design and merchandising - from extraordinary window displays through to detailed in-store displays and the way it showcases featured products in aisle islands.

Since 1909 it has remained the single most exciting destination on Oxford St - none of its rival stores on the strip have ever come close.

Adman Jon Bird, an Inside Retailing columnist and MD of IdeaWorks, was also on the tour. His report on the Yellow promotion, along with further images, can be read here.

 

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