Flooring The Consumer: Bathroom Brand Manifestations: Bass Pro Shops

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Bathroom Brand Manifestations: Bass Pro Shops

Earlier this year, when I spent ten days in Dallas, I visited the Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine, Texas.

What an amazing outdoor emporium, filled with animal dioramas, fish tanks, boats, a snack bar, a fly shop, golf driving range, hunting paraphernalia, sports gear or anything else you might need. No wonder it has a hotel connected to it!

What impressed me was the attention paid to details throughout the store - starting in the parking lot - to reinforce the Bass Pro Shop brand and the impressive commitment to all things outdoor. Coyotes, rabbits, cougars and armadillos carved out of wood grace the front entrance. Within, a three-dimensional lake still-life greets visitors.

The details abound. Even in the bathrooms!

Continuing, then, with M&M Bathroom Brand Manifestations, let's explore how Bass Pro Shop manifests its brand in the ladiesrooms.

Look at the handle to the ladiesrooms door. Note the door plate and animal motif. Notice the rough hewn door - appropriate for an outdoorsy themed place.

Step inside the bathroom.

Not only are there plenty of sinks and stalls, but the overall effect is quite elegant, with individual white pedestal sinks. Note that the rough hewn wood detail gets repeated in the [plentiful] trash receptacles conveniently placed under the paper towel dispensers.

The stall doors echo the trash bin details, with the wonderful addition of hammered tin inserts. This creates a color contrast with the wood as well as textural contrast for the eyes and the hands.

Note the flooring and wall tile details, too.

The walls are particularly enchanting as they include these special fish details: peacock bass and a grouping of sunfish and walleye [yes, a little crooked] by the diaper deck sign.

Someone put thought, humour and care into all of these details, not only creating a more fun bathroom experience, but also bringing the adventure and learning within the store to a space that otherwise gets ignored.

To highlight how smart this is, note this wonderful wall painting in the fishing area with the caption "Free the Fighter." Can you feel the strong emotions of the scene? A kid with his or her grandfather, learning about fishing responsibly. Sharing a tradition.

This area also features an elaborate aquarium where many of the fish featured in the ladiesrooms can be seen swimming. Doesn't it make you want to go fishing and experience it all firsthand?

I was impressed with this store, with the number of interactive displays capturing the attention and curiosity not just of the avid sportsperson, but of accompanying children and less engaged adults. Details, down to a 'gone fishing' sign to indicate that a checkout lane was closed, delight and bring the brand to life.

As you see in the bathrooms, Bass Pro Shops wastes no opportunity to engage its visitors in its brand and in its experience.

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are: