No.4 - Fortune rewards the brave!

From my first ever visit to Holland back in '98, I have loved the Dutch approach to design. So much so I try to visit every year and they never fail to surprise me. This year, once again they have wowed me once more before I'd even left the airport.

At Schipol airport we were blown away by 3 new additions to Lounge 3. Say Cheese, House of Tulips and Bread don't leave much to the imagination in terms of what they might sell! But this is just part of their beauty. If you make it obvious what you are selling, customers will get it. So what designers, Tjep's have created here, is just pure brilliance!

Bread is selling the most amazing sandwiches, loafs and time-of-day snacks. With an 8m high wall of giant bread loafs piled high, you see it from miles away. The biggest bakers shelves ever perhaps? The craft here (and on all of these concepts) is beautiful. The giant loafs are actually craved from ash wood and look unbelievably convincing. The product display is simple with layers of interest and pin pointed lighting. The graphic comms is wonderfully illustrated too.

Next, Say Cheese. Not only in the shape of a big cheese, but actually made to look like its constructed out of piled high cheese wheels! Oh, and there's the huge cheese wedge as a back drop too in case that was too subtle! The product quite literally becomes the hero here and equally makes as much impact as Bread.

But the 'piece de resistance' is the House of Tulips. Its architectural form is striking (based on the architecture of the Dutch green houses). Its green glass eye-catching. Its product display rustic by comparison. But the real theatre comes when the store opens and closes. Just watch this video and look out for the sales assistant standing outside the unit on the right hand side in the black and pink top.

How amazing is that?! The whole shop lifts up! What a wonderful way to manage security and set out a stall. The sheer drama around opening and closing, combined with the sense of scale is incredible.

What all these kiosk have done is create a memorable, theatrical space that you can't help but be attracted too and smile at. This can be hugely underestimated in retail, the power of a smile. If we smile, we're usually happy. If we're happy, we spend money!

Thinking of doing a kiosk sometime soon? Could you be this bold? You'd do well to. The sales have doubled since these new designs were installed!

Hats off to the brave!