A Larger-than-life Holiday Adventure Is Taking Over Nordstrom’s NYC Store

The Blizz is taking over Nordstrom‘s New York City flagship.

Dubbed the “Wonder All the Way” campaign, the activation celebrates the spirit of holiday magic and joy and seeing the world through limitless wonder.

The Blizz on 57th Street features a cast of larger-than-life inflatable characters voiced by filmmaker and actor John Waters and the voice of actress Fran Drescher. Some 32 inflatables, inspired by fictional New York City staples, feature Mr. Blizz, a charming inflatable presiding over the 57th Street entrance, with the power to turn everyday objects and beings into gigantic, lively characters such as Dimmy and Quaser, the burnt-out stars who want to chill; Rose, Ruby and Violet, the chatty lipsticks who hang out and gossip, Connor and Connie, humble traffic cones; Fritz the Friendly Pretzel, a nice big softy that pays compliments to passersby; Carla the Carrot, who is preparing for her first acting gig, and Drizzle the Anxious Umbrella, a lonely umbrella that is ready to complain to anyone who will listen.

The campaign was conceived by Thom Bettridge, editor in chief of i-D Magazine; Matthew Mazzucca, former creative director of Barneys New York; illustrator and animator Anthony Ferrara; artist and production designer Desi Santiago, and longtime graphic designer behind Balenciaga, Gina Gisiger, all brought together by Justinian Kfoury of Total Management.

“We are beyond excited to bring The Blizz on 57th Street to life at the Nordstrom NYC flagship this holiday season,” said Olivia Kim, senior vice president of creative merchandising at Nordstrom. “Nordstrom has always strived to be a platform for discovery and we look forward to infusing the joy of the holidays with the unique spirit of New York, creating an unforgettable experience to those who visit our flagship this holiday. Partnering with this collective of New York-based creatives and friends continues to reinforce our commitment to this community.”

In addition to Mr. Blizz at the entrance, Nordstrom’s interior will be transformed with a cast of playful characters including Pigeonthia, a mystical, fortune-telling pigeon providing guests with insights into their futures on the second floor and Wonder Ring, a lost engagement ring that presides over the coin-operated ring machines on the fifth floor, which contains rings corresponding to the fortunes given by Pigeonthia, among many others. In addition, visitors are guided through the experience with a treasure map featuring a collect-them-all sticker book to find all the Blizzy creatures for a chance to win prizes.

Asked how this year’s holiday decor differs from prior years, Kim told WWD, “I think the big difference this year is this is really big. We’re really excited about activating our New York store [which opened in October 2019] for the first time in this larger-than-life way. We haven’t had the opportunity yet to do anything with the exterior of the building and play with the facade and really light up the flagship building. That’s certainly something new and different for us. I think it will set the tone for seasons to come for what we want to do out there.”

She said they’re calling it “Wonder All the Way,” which reflects the feeling you have when you’re a kid and you’re so excited about the holidays and the magic or an adult feeling like a little kid when things are much bigger than you are. “And just the magic of the season, no matter what you’re celebrating. I think we can all really use that right now,” said KIm.

Kim said this isn’t the first time they’ve used inflatables, but they’ve never used them to this scale. “These are inflatables that are larger than human size. They’re meant to feel extraordinary,” she said.

The public can see the inflatables on Wednesday, which is opening day. The activations will go live the day after Thanksgiving.

According to Kim, the idea of Mr. Blizz came up after talking with a group of friends. “When you think all the steam comes up from the potholes, we asked, what actually is that? They developed this incredible fictitious story about Mr. Blizz and what happens when he permeates the inside of your store overnight, and inflates and oversizes everything else in the store. It’s this really adorable story.” She said it’s meant for people of all ages.

The entire project is narrated by Waters and Drescher. You can hear Drescher and Waters interacting with each other. Each inflatable have its own audio cone and its own speech. “They’re often pretty cheeky or funny. We created a map for a scavenger hunt to see Blizz and all his friends and interact with them,” she said. The inflatables are planted throughout the entire store. “Customers can follow the map and can find all the different inflatables,” she said. There will be handouts for all their customers, which is the scavenger hunt map with stickers. The handout tells the full story of each of the characters. There will also be digital screens throughout the store that tell the story. “Hopefully you can’t miss it,” she said.

She said that as New York has really come back post-COVID-19, they’ve really tried to make their mark in their part of town. “During the holidays, I really want Nordstrom to be a destination for tourists and locals. It really adds a sense of whimsical and fun,” she said.

There will be audio outside the store, too. On the 57th Street windows, there will be two mini-Blizzes hanging down as well. The windows will have traditional holiday trim with gold tinsel, and the Blizz is on top of it. A smaller version of Blizz will be on the exterior of the men’s show. There will also be a couple of inflatables in the men’s store.

Kim noted that it’s a one-of-a kind New York experience, and isn’t in the branch stores. It will be up through Jan. 5.

Nordstrom will also welcome back the Santa Snow Show starting on Nov. 29 through Dec. 24, with daily performances featuring special characters throughout the store. Santa will be available to take “elf-ies” with children on lower level 2.