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Tour Stop TaylorMade: Modular Multipurpose Display, World Golf Village, PGA Tour Stop, St. Augustine, Fla.
 Design NIR Inc., Portland, Ore.
Fixtures NIR Inc., Portland, Ore.
Retailer PGA Tour Shop, St. Augustine, Fla.
Photography Sally Painter, Sally Painter Photography, Portland, Ore
In the Beginning
In 1999, TaylorMade underwent a re-branding process, changing entire templates and color palettes and re-engineering everything from the logo to the product. "They wanted to make a statement to the world that this is a golf brand to be reckoned with," said Sheets. As part of this effort, TaylorMade asked NIR to rebuild every display worldwide.
NIR designs and manufactures custom programs, working with retailers or directly with large retail suppliers. The NIR team worked closely with TaylorMade's creative team to develop a concept that was implemented worldwide in hundreds of locations.
The Process of Great Design
Sheets described the firm's major strength for this project: "We do a lot of design direct to 3-D, especially when, as in this case, we have an absolute understanding of what this brand needed to communicate. Direct from rendering to implementation, we could see the evolution of the experience that would happen at the retail level where the brand was being communicated."
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In addition to TaylorMade's communication of a clear branding goal, the NIR team appreciated the company's emphasis on visual elements. While its brand identity is rooted in authenticity within golf, TaylorMade is known for technically innovative products. NIR communicated that through photography. "We were able to put graphic-centered showpieces-players, glamour shots, tech specs of the products-everywhere in addition to landscape images of golf courses," Sheets said. "We also integrated their mass media and DVD presentations, again providing that experience with the brand globally."
Sheets described NIR's process. Once the initial plan is designed, the team ensures that it can be duplicated globally in a variety of environments. "Our concept might range from 4-ft. slatwalls to 3,000-sq.-ft. store-in-store concept shops. That's where the modular comes from in our project title. We had integrated components from the display program put into the store, but we still mapped out certain spaces. Each store-in-store is custom-fit, without gaps, top to bottom."
TaylorMade benefited from NIR's ability to provide design, manufacturing, and installation by receiving a quick turnaround at a low price, Sheets maintained. "We had some fun challenges with this installation, right down to the electricians not showing up and having to find new people on Friday night at five o'clock to perform the installation by Saturday morning. Thank goodness for some fantastic people in St. Augustine, Florida, on a Friday at midnight," he recalled.
The Final Creation: Award-Winning Fixtures
The island piece (shown here) serves as the key launch point for all new product design for TaylorMade. As a new product is presented to the market, the island will become the focal point for the store-in-store concept as the hub of all retail promotions and brand communication. This cross-functional fixture can promote anything from golf gloves to woods and irons and can be retrofit to showcase any new product.
TaylorMade clubs were displayed in a unique way. Explained Sheets, "Golf clubs do not weight perfectly. Every kind of club is different, so we developed a custom ABS-molded club port in which to showcase the clubs." And because NIR worked with TaylorMade on the in-line fixture program as the store-in-store was developed, the same proprietary technology was used with stainless on the top to fit in the rest of the store, saving time and money. The clubs are merchandised face out, giving the customer a hands-on experience
"TaylorMade invested the proper amount of money and time to say, 'This is the kind of brand statement we need to make at retail,'" Sheets said. The result: TaylorMade now has the best-selling driver and the best-selling iron in the United States. "There has been a major improvement in market standing, and we'd like to feel that the fixtures were a key factor," said Sheets.
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