Categories

Design of the Times not only showcases today’s hottest design innovations, it’s your chance to compete against today’s top in-store solutions.

To enter your displays, select a retail category, then choose a campaign type, and get ready to steal the spotlight.

Retail Categories

Consumer Electronics/Entertainment

• Consumer Electronics
• Computers
• Software
• Records
• CDs
• Books
• Newsstands
• Household Appliances
• Cameras
• Videos
• Telecommunications Stores
• Movie Theater Lobby Displays
• TV & Stereo Shops

C-Stores

• Gas Stations
• Mini-Marts
• Tobacco Shops

Department Stores/Specialty Stores: Apparel & Fashion Accessories

• Clothing Stores
• Eyewear & Sunglass Stores
• Handbag & Accessory Stores
• Jewelry Shops
• Watch Stores

Department Stores/Specialty Stores: Cosmetics/Fragrances

• Typically Countertop Displays
• Tester Displays
• Gift-With-Purchase Programs
• "Class" Cosmetics

Drugstores/Health Stores

• Chains
• Independents
• Vitamin Stores
• "Mass" Cosmetics

Eating & Drinking Establishments

• Restaurants
• Bars
• QSRs
• On-Premise Retailing

Footwear Stores/Departments

• Shoe Stores
• Athletic Footwear
• Dress Shoes
• Casual Shoes

Home Centers & Hardware Stores

• Lumberyards
• Building Materials Dealers
• Paints Stores
• Home Décor
• Furniture
• Floor Covering
• Tools
• Lawn & Garden
• Electrical Wholesale (i.e. SquareD B-to-B)
• Home Furnishings & Linen

Liquor Stores

• Off-Premise Retailing

Mass Merchants

• Discount Stores
• Five & Dime Stores
• Club Stores
• Variety Stores
• "Mass" Cosmetics

Recreational Stores: Sporting Goods/Toys/Pet

• Bicycle Shops
• Hobby Shops
• Toy Stores
• Game Shops
• Pro Shops

Specialty Shops/Services

• Salons
• Travel Services
• Financial Services
• Miscellaneous Retail

Stationery/Office/Gift Stores

• Gift Stores
• Souvenir Shops
• Office Supply Stores
• Greeting Card Shops

Supermarket/Grocery: Food Items

• Food Stores
• Fruit & Vegetable Markets
• Dairy Stores
• Bakeries
• Candy Stores

Supermarket/Grocery: Non-Food Items

• Food Stores
• Fruit & Vegetable Markets
• Candy Stores
• "Mass" Cosmetics

Transportation

• Auto & Motorcycle Dealerships
• Auto Supply Stores (aftermarket products)
• Boat Stores
• RV Dealers
• Auto Service (non-C-Store types such as Jiffy Lube)

Campaign Types (Single Element)

Counter Displays (Permanent)

Any stand alone display that can rest on a counter, backbar or on a shelf. Designed to last for at least 3 months.

Counter Displays (Temporary)

Any stand alone display that can rest on a counter, backbar or on a shelf. Designed to be discarded after a brief promotional period (usually a week and no longer than 3 months).

Packaging: Special Edition, Limited or Short Run

Special edition, short-run and/or limited-time promotional packaging for a product. Common examples include holiday packaging for liquor; gift boxes for perfumes; limited edition or collectible packages; re-labeled containers for product tests or targeted promotions; packages that sport special effects (such as lenticular images); etc.

Packaging: Primary, Standard or Every Day

The primary, everyday package for a product, in any material: corrugate, glass, plastic, metal, etc. To win, an entry will have to be something more than a "plain brown wrapper." The entry should have design elements that attract shopper attention and/or bolster the brand's "shelf presence" via shape, color, copy points, descriptive language, etc.

Endcaps & Power Wings

A branded P-O-P display built for placement at the end of a store aisle. Also known as "end-of-aisle" displays. Power Wings (also called "sidekicks") attach to the side of endcaps. May be for permanent or temporary duration.

Freestanding Floor or Aisle Displays (Permanent)

Stand alone displays (such as wine racks or golf club displays) that are designed to stand alone out on the sales floor. This display should be designed to last for at least 3 months.

Freestanding, Aisle, Shipper or Pallet Displays (Temporary)

A floor display (usually made of corrugated) or a pallet merchandiser designed to stand alone out on the sales floor. Designed to be discarded after a promotional period (usually a week and no longer than 3 months).

In-Line, Gondola or On-Shelf Displays

Any display designed to promote or display a product on slatwall or a gondola shelf. P-O-P that doesn't hold a product (such as "aisle violators" or "channel graphics") can be entered in this category as well.

Interactive Displays or Kiosks

A display that requires the customer to supply information via keyboard, button array or touchscreen monitor.

Motion, Light or Sound Displays

A display that involves some sort of "special effect" including (but not limited to) blinking LEDs, musical or spoken sounds, lenticular images, moving display elements, etc.

Permanent Signage: Electric

Electric-powered signs made of permanent materials that typically are either suspended from ceilings or mounted to walls. Examples might include: neon signs, clocks, pool table lights, light boxes, LED signs, etc.

Permanent Signage: Non-Electric

This can include (but is not limited to) mirror signs, metal tackers, vacuum-formed wall signs, etc., as long as it uses permanent materials such as plastic, metal, wood or glass. It can also include some specialized applications such as tap handles.

Temporary Graphics/Signage

This can include (but is not limited to) floor graphics, banners, posters, static clings, shelf-talkers, danglers, wobblers, pole toppers, etc. Entries must use temporary materials such as paper, sheet vinyl, corrugated, card stock, etc. An entry may focus on one graphic execution (a mobile) or may focus on a variety of integrated elements as long as they relate to the same campaign or theme (for example, a mobile, floor graphic and table tent for McDonalds' "The Lost World" movie tie-in.)

Campaign Types (Multiple Element)

In-Store Marketing: National/Regional Campaign

A campaign that utilizes at least two of the following six marketing tactics: displays and/or signs, consumer promotion, off-shelf merchandising, in-store events, co-op advertising and/or in-store media advertising. Entries should explain how these elements were employed together to achieve campaign objectives.

In-Store Marketing: Retailer-Specific Campaign

A campaign, conducted for a single retail account, that utilizes at least two of the following six marketing tactics: displays and signs, consumer promotion, off-shelf merchandising, in-store events, co-op advertising and/or in-store media advertising. Entries should explain how these elements were employed together to achieve campaign objectives. Store within a store and retail design entries also qualify.

In-Store Media

Networked advertising vehicles, including coupon dispensers, shelf signs, floor clings, shopping cart ads, in-store TV, in-store radio, digital signage, checkout ads and others. Entries must describe the creative elements of a specific campaign conducted through one of these networked ad vehicles, not the vehicles themselves.

NEW! Shopper Insights-Driven: National/Regional Campaign

A campaign whose creative elements and/or in-store activation were derived from an analysis of consumer/shopper research. Entries should explain the research methods used, the target audience, and the specific insights that influenced the campaign.

NEW! Shopper Insights-Driven: Retailer-Specific Campaign

A campaign whose creative elements and/or in-store activation were derived from an analysis of consumer/shopper research. Entries should explain the research methods used, the target audience, and the specific insights that influenced the campaign.

If you have any questions about retail categories or campaign types, contact Laura Carlson at (847) 675-7400, x173 or on our contact page.