Shinsegae transforms Gangnam store into colorful wonderland with children’s art

 
In celebration of May’s Family Month, Shinsegae Department Store is transforming its locations into a vibrant gallery of children’s artwork to boost its appeal for family consumers. 
 
Drawings themed around family, love and gifts created by an up-and-coming group of “Little Shinsegae Artists” hang throughout its Gangnam branch in southern Seoul, the nation’s top-selling department store.
 

Visitors are greeted at the store’s entrance, which connects the building with the bustling Seoul Express Bus Terminal, by a heart-shaped sculpture as tall as an adult. A red, heart-shaped balloon features a collage of children’s artwork.
 

Inside the store, giant hanging banners and escalator guides display more of the young artists’ drawings, creating a colorful and engaging atmosphere throughout the shopping experience. 
 
Customers can even bring the joy of Family Month home — they receive their purchases from selected brands in special shopping bags and gift wrap etched with Little Shinsegae Artists’ drawings, which is exclusively available in May.
 

Though Shinsegae has previously organized children’s drawing contests — pioneering the event among department stores in Korea — this marks the first time children’s artwork has been used as the primary visual content of a campaign. The department store tried to bridge the gap between brand messaging and customer interaction, making Family Month a shared celebration filled with warmth and creativity.
 
In February, Shinsegae invited children under 10 to submit drawings centered on its chosen themes. Thirty entries, out of more than 700, were selected after a rigorous judging process — and while Shinsegae employees’ children submitted, none were included in the final selection. The 30 winners received handmade dolls featuring their own drawings, created in collaboration with a custom doll-making company.  
 
“Customers who participated were thrilled at the thought of seeing their children’s drawings in a place they frequently visit,” said Shin Ji-young, senior manager at Shinsegae Department Store’s Brand Marketing Team, in an e-mail interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Thursday. “The idea of turning such artwork into a doll was particularly exciting for both children and parents. The campaign, showcasing the pure perspectives of children, has also been warmly received by visitors.”
 

This month’s campaign, titled “The Greatest Gift of All,” emphasizes customer engagement rather than delivering a one-sided message, the company said. The slogan underscores that the greatest gift is family and moments spent together.
 
“We focused on creating an experience that customers would remember as a ‘gift-like’ experience, rather than just conveying our message unilaterally,” said Shin. “While past collaborations with artists or brands were meaningful, we think a campaign completed with direct customer participation holds even greater significance.”
 

 
The campaign’s execution involved collaboration across various departments within Shinsegae. The visual strategy ensured that selected children’s drawings were harmoniously integrated into the campaign, with special emphasis on showcasing each child’s artwork prominently at their nearest Shinsegae store.
 
“Our visual strategy began with identifying the image that best represents Shinsegae’s values,” said Choi Na-young, senior manager at the Brand Visual Strategy 1 Team of Shinsegae Department Store, through the e-mail interview.
 
“This year, we researched artists with a child-like drawing style and young, active artists,” Choi said. “During our kick-off meeting, we concluded that genuine children’s drawings would offer more authenticity and meaning than imitated styles. The campaign preparation process highlighted the importance of smooth communication within and between teams, aligning with the interactive theme of this campaign.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]

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