Gdańsk shopping mall, Galeria Morena underwent a complete renovation that included a brand new design, an extension, and the addition of the 12,000 sq.m Carrefour hypermarket. The mall’s marketing strategy, branding and position changed and as the festive season approach, they wanted to work with a supplier who could help them capture the essence of their new brand and communicate that through their Christmas lighting and decoration.

MK Illumination Poland met with both representatives from Galeria Morena and the anchor store, Carrefour, in order to understand both the needs and positioning of Carrefour and those of the mall itself, and returned with a series of concepts that would create a festive atmosphere throughout the mall and the anchor store.

The concepts identified a number of areas that could be used as photo opportunities, as the mall was keen to encourage the taking of selfies and the online sharing of photos through social media to increase visibility online.

After further discussions and revisions, the project approved and MK Illumination set to work translating their concepts into designs ready for their production team. Time was of the essence because the project started later than planned and Christmas simply can’t be moved!

“The biggest challenge was time: the project was approved quite late in the season, but fortunately we had a good implementation and of course, a great team, who were able to produce and assemble the festive lighting and decoration in record time,” said Marzena Seweryniak, Managing Director of MK Illumination Poland.

Installation took 10 days in total and when the completed displays were revealed, it was clear that MK Illumination had outdone themselves. The festive lighting and decoration set the center aglow with warm white lights that invited shoppers to relax, enjoy their time in the center and explore the many shops and restaurants within. The decoration was designed to complement the existing architecture too, which resulted in a subtle but effective presentation that spread Christmas cheer throughout the holidays.

The client was thrilled with the end result and was particularly pleased to see visitors taking selfies and mentions of the center online increasing, which was one of their goals. They also received positive feedback from shoppers about the light sculptures and festive decoration, and incorporated some of the light sculptures, like that of a reindeer with a red nose that could be lit up, into their mall marketing campaign, delighting visitors of all ages.

“We established a real rapport with Galeria Morena. They trusted us as experts in festive lighting and decoration, and took time to listen to our ideas and suggestions, most of which we implemented. We had to be flexible, given the long approval time, and I’m proud that we were able to deliver precisely what the customer wanted within the time constraints.”

And what did Galeria Morena learn from the experience of working with MK Illumination Poland?

“That working with a flexible, creative team of experts means that nothing is impossible!” said Seweryniak with a smile.