Larger Than Life

Perched on the populous Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif., Levi's was looking for a graphics application that would entice the steady stream of passersby to come inside and shop. The well-known jeans and apparel retailer was looking for something that would "scream out at people" as they hurried their way down the Promenade.

"It's a wonderful space that has 16-ft. ceilings with exposed beams and original brick walls, and we wanted to take advantage of that space by creating a very large, high-impact display," says David Rivera, manager of store design for Levi's. "We decided to go with an illuminated display that would tie into our current campaign and serve as both a traffic builder and an advertising medium."

Levi's chose DSA/Phototech Inc., Los Angeles, to create two identical lightboxes, both measuring 3 ft. wide by 11 1/2 ft. tall, to sit side by side in the center of the store. With a high-gloss, brush-silver finish and hinged access for graphic replacement, the graphics create a strong focal point in the store design. The project also included a lighting grid that used more than 30 fluorescent lamps for maximum illumination. "The light boxes have a very dense lamp pattern, so it's very bright and really pops out on the store floor," says Robert Stephenson, president of DSA/Phototech. "It really serves as the centerpiece of the store."

The lightboxes serve a dual purpose: they invite customers in during the day and help promote brand recognition at night. "During store hours, the display literally draws people in from the Promenade," says Rivera. "And at night, after closing, we keep it illuminated for several more hours so customers of nearby nightclubs and restaurants continue to see our advertising message. It's really hard to miss." Stephenson adds, "The lightboxes are visible from a great distance. It's a very startling, provocative graphic."

For retailers, there is little maintenance for lightboxes. According to Stephenson, the light bulbs have a life of three to five years and its electronic system can last longer than a typical retailer's store remodeling schedule. The only thing retailers should concern themselves with is how often they want to change the graphic. For Levi's, it changes for its spring and fall marketing programs.

Stephenson says that the trend in lightboxes this year can be summed up this way—the bigger the better. "The demand for large lightboxes has really started to grow in the last year," says Stephenson. "Lightboxes really get much more dramatic as they get bigger."

Levi's is so pleased with the result that the retailer has installed a similar display at its new Miami store. "The graphic really has an ethereal glow, it really radiates life," concludes Stephenson.