Boux Avenue commissioned me to create an illustration for their Christmas Window Displays. The work would appear in retail stores across the UK and all digital touch-points across the company.
Having just wrapped up a Christmas project for M&S, it seems I’m becoming something of a seasonal specialist. Now, it’s time to sprinkle a bit of that yuletide magic on Boux Avenue’s festive campaign.
About the client: Boux Avenue
Boux Avenue, a UK lingerie retailer established by entrepreneur Theo Paphitis of Dragons’ Den fame, operates over 30 stores nationwide. Known for stylish, comfortable lingerie, nightwear, and swimwear, Boux Avenue appeals to a contemporary yet classic aesthetic.
Boux Avenue approached me to collaborate on a campaign to launch their Christmas gift shop, which offers easy present ideas such as PJs, lingerie, slippers, and other stocking fillers, (even the stockings themselves).
A Christmas Retail Visual Merchandising Project Brief
The brief was to create a scene that captured the essence of a traditional Christmas card but to add a fashion twist by incorporating my illustration style. The final image was to be used nationwide in Christmas window displays, and adapted for use across various online platforms, ensuring it worked in different digital formats.
Creative Process
I drew inspiration from the iconic style of fashion illustrator Rene Gruau, and the vibrant and bold colour palettes characteristic of 1950s Christmas advertising artwork to develop three initial rough concepts for the client. I took my characters in different snow-filled directions of where they would be shopping for gifts – an alpine scene, a traditional Cotswold-type town, and a bustling city street.
As the illustration was to be used across multiple touch-points I created a variety of layouts to make the image work effectively in as many scenarios as possible. I also created a short looping animation for the Boux Avenue Marketing team to be used across the website and social media.
Rough sketches were presented prior to selecting a final direction
Project Execution
It is rare with commercial briefs, but I enjoyed a lot of creative freedom throughout this project. Regular progress updates and a clear timeline with the client resulted in a stress-free project, so a big thank you to Carly & Sophie from the Boux team for that!
I created the artwork digitally, using Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom Cintiq Pro 32. To facilitate the animation using Adobe After Effects, the key elements from the final illustration were seperated in layers.
The final image was rolled out as part of a nationwide Christmas window display. Large format posters of the Christmas scene featured in all stores, surrounded by promoted products and window decals complimenting the original image. The animation featured on in-store digital displays and all social media channels.
Boux Avenue Christmas Window Displays
Impact
The Christmas campaign for Boux Avenue was not only creatively fulfilling but also a significant success in terms of digital outreach. The brand enjoys a strong social media presence with an aggregated audience of just under 1 million followers and played a pivotal role in amplifying the campaign’s impact.
A highlight of the launch was a guerilla street promotion in London, where two staff members, dressed in Boux Avenue’s PJs and slippers and brandishing illustrated placards, distributed gifts – an event captured and shared on TikTok which garnered an impressive 36k views (watch it here).
On Instagram, the initial animated reel relating to the campaign reached 23.2k viewers.
This extensive digital reach, combined with the nationwide in-store displays and interactive street promotions, underscored the success of the Christmas Window Displays project, making it a standout in both artistic and marketing terms.
