Innovative Wins Big with 4 Awards at Shop! Marketplace 2025

chelseyb6
May 1
3 min read

We’re incredibly proud and grateful to have brought home four awards at this year’s Shop! Marketplace! In addition to two Outstanding Merchandising Achievement (OMA) Awards, we also brought home the brand-new Sustainability Innovation Award and the coveted Gold Global Award. These wins are a testament to the passion, creativity, and teamwork that drive everything we do at Innovative Marketing Solutions.

A sincere thank you to our amazing clients for your trust, support, and partnership. Also, a big thanks to the Shop! Association for hosting such an inspiring event and for your ongoing commitment to recognizing excellence within our industry.

Sherwin-Williams Designer Color Collection

Sustainability Innovation Award and Bronze OMA Award

The launch of the Sherwin-Williams Designer Color Collection marked a striking transformation of a 14-year-old HGTV Home display shell into a fresh, contemporary in-store experience. Featuring bold, designer-curated palettes and premium paint products, the new display brings the brand’s most luxurious colors to the forefront. Previously limited to small swatches in brochures, these premium hues—ranging from the brightest whites to timeless designer favorites—are now showcased in a dedicated display, complete with convenient take-home color chips that allow customers to choose color with confidence, precision, and ease.

Sustainability was central to the project’s success. By repurposing more than 4,400 existing displays, the initiative diverted an estimated 600 dumpsters’ worth of waste from landfills. This environmentally conscious approach earned the display one of the inaugural Sustainability Innovation Awards at Shop! Marketplace.

Designed for both impact and practicality, the updated display requires only a screwdriver for assembly and is supported by QR code-accessible video instructions—making installation simple for store associates. Rolled out during the peak paint season in June 2024, the initiative surpassed expectations with minimal disruption, enthusiastic store feedback, and tangible sales growth, reinforcing its role as a powerful component of Sherwin-Williams’ retail strategy.

Samsung Flip Takeover

Gold Global Award

To promote the launch of its latest foldable devices, Samsung teamed up with us to develop four immersive pop-up retail spaces across Los Angeles and New York City. With only six weeks for development and production, the team delivered uniquely themed activations—two celebrating local skate culture in Williamsburg and Venice, and two centered around K-Beauty and Korean pop culture in Herald Square and West Hollywood. Each location featured interactive experiences like graffiti stations, selfie kiosks, gaming arcades, and karaoke booths, all designed to highlight the versatility of Samsung’s foldables.

The pop-ups were further energized by 22 influencers, including artists and pro skateboarders, who integrated the Samsung ecosystem into their content. From creative concept to execution—including design, influencer management, social media, and OOH/DOOH campaigns—we met Samsung’s request for spaces that felt “un-Samsung” while staying true to the brand, balancing local flair, campaign messaging, and cutting-edge tech engagement.

After winning a Gold Design Award in 2024, we were eligible to re-submit this for a Global Award in 2025. We were deeply honored to have the project recognized with a Gold Global award – a meaningful moment for our team.

Buck Knives

Silver OMA Award

As part of Buck Knives’ first major rebrand in over a decade, the modular floor display was designed to reflect the brand’s premium heritage while meeting modern retail demands through a scalable, flexible, and sustainable solution. Engineered with modularity at its core, the display features customizable configurations—such as glass shelves or magnetic holders—interchangeable graphics, and durable materials that support long-term use and visual refreshes.

Its intuitive, tool-free setup allows for easy assembly and reconfiguration, making it adaptable across various store environments. Successfully implemented in retail locations, the display exceeded expectations by enhancing brand presence, increasing customer engagement, and earning praise from retailers for its flexibility, sustainability, and sleek, high-quality design.