A surprise request for holiday-themed decor and retail activation ideas prompted a full account team brainstorm, seeking ways to celebrate the holiday season and the opportunities it brings to connect to friends, family and members of the community. UScellular is a telecom company created to service small towns across America that exist in pockets between major cities. Small towns are left underserved by many other major telecom companies, so “locally grown connection” within these communities is what they’re all about.

Our team enjoyed dreaming up playful ways to share the stores with community neighbors, inviting in customers and making them feel at home for the holidays. I led the creative exploration, quickly built and edited concept mockups, and presented our accumulated ideas to a very pleased client. An ambitious “maybe 20 ideas?” in two days had been requested, but we actually delivered 28.

Concepts included:

  • entrance mats welcoming customers in to get connected with products and services

  • inviting local school groups to paint holiday scenes on store windows

  • oversized phone standee wearing a branded “ugly sweater,” just for fun

  • seasonal branded wrapping paper and phone cases as a gift with purchase

  • gingerbread house-style paper garland decorations featuring UScellular storefront illustrations

  • hot cocoa and refreshment bar, featuring treats from local bakeries or cafes

  • branded “winter wonderland” photo backdrop, offering a chance for customers to try out devices with cameras and send a holiday photo to friends and family

  • gift baskets featuring products from local small businesses, with drawings to win during sales events

Art direction for UScellular at Arc Worldwide (Leo Burnett & Publicis Groupe).