“We’re always looking for ways to connect this sense of ‘discover, decide, do’ in real life. So bringing the feeling of what it’s like to be on Pinterest into the real world to establish that strong brand connection is something we really care about. [It’s] bringing value to people’s lives and really being an additive experience.”
–Jennifer Koen, Head of Brand Partnerships, Pinterest
For those who’ve ever wondered what it would be like to walk through a Pinterest board IRL, the Holiday Showhouse retail event hosted by Pinterest and retailer Anthropologie was just the ticket—and a sold-out one, at that. The shoppable pop-up experience, open to the public Oct. 11-15, was hosted inside an intimate brownstone townhouse in Brooklyn, NY, and featured a series of lavish spaces inspired by the social media platform’s holiday trend data, and decked out in twinkling seasonal home décor and furnishings from Anthropologie.
Holiday search trends popped up early this year, according to Pinterest, and the brand saw an opportunity to jump on users’ interests, and grow brand affinity, by providing a curated, shoppable experience based on that data ahead of the holiday season. For Anthropologie, the event was a way to connect with consumers through an immersive retail experience that was out-of-store and offline. Together, the brands built a timely installation featuring unique Pinterest QR codes outfitted in every room that linked to shoppable boards on Anthropologie’s Pinterest profile.
More Experience Design Insights:
- CMO Perspectives: BEHR Paint and The Home Depot Talk the 2024 Color of the Year
- Online Activewear Brand POPFLEX Launches its First-ever Pop-up Shop Experience
An opulent, shoppable holiday tablescape was among the first scenes attendees encountered.
To hype the Holiday Showhouse and shoppable products ahead of time, the brands hosted a dedicated press night. They also tapped a squad of top-tier creators. Influencers like Benjamin Reynaert, Mallory Fletchall and Whitney Leigh Morris brought Pinterest’s trends and Anthropologie’s décor and furnishings into their own homes, and shared their designs with followers.
For the lucky attendees able to snag a ticket to the installation, a cozy holiday atmosphere greeted them from the get-go. As they arrived at the townhouse, the exterior stairs, stoop, door and windows were covered in warm lights, winter greenery and faux snow. Inside, they were met with an opulent tablescape and an iPad where they could delve deeper into the details of the room’s décor, and buy products on the spot. QR codes placed throughout offered the same option.
“You walked in that house and you got there, you felt it. You’re like, ‘Oh my God, holiday!’” says Jennifer Koen, head of brand partnerships at Pinterest. “It’s filled with optimism, excitement, and everybody thinking forward, which is how we want people to feel about Pinterest. So putting that emotional connection with this kind of experiential moment is the goal.”
Other holiday scenes, all equipped with iPads and QR codes, included a bedroom space inspired by the 510-percent year-over-year increase in searches for “winter bedroom aesthetic” on Pinterest, a fireplace and mantle scene, window installations and more than one extravagant Christmas tree—“glam Christmas tree” searches were up 180 percent. Attendees could also belly up to an alcohol-free bar to taste trending non-alcoholic holiday drinks, as well as bites.
But that’s not all, folks. Following the Holiday Showhouse campaign, Pinterest again leaned into its search stats, this time to inspire its first-ever Pinterest Predicts Shop, a collection of shoppable items that, based on its user data, are likely to be trending in 2024. The shop is available to users online, and also served as a five-day pop-up Pinterest Predicts retail activation from Dec. 6-10 in New York City.
Looking ahead, Koen says creating in-person experiences will continue to be an integral part of Pinterest’s efforts to court Gen Z and young millennial female audiences.
“We’re always looking for ways to connect this sense of ‘discover, decide, do’ in real life. So bringing the feeling of what it’s like to be on Pinterest into the real world to establish that strong brand connection is something we really care about,” says Koen. “[It’s] bringing value to people’s lives and really being an additive experience. Experiential allows you to start to develop and continue to develop that relationship with the consumer in a much deeper way. That’s what we are doing with programs like this and looking to continue to do into 2024.”
Take a Spin Through the Holiday Showhouse:
