Creating optimism this Christmas

Christmas special: Joining ARA CEO Paul Zahra for some Retail Therapy in the Amex Lounge today is Gemma Rees, Managing Partner at Fabric and Keenan Motto, Creative Partner at Fabric – which is part of the TBWA network – a strategic and design-led agency specialising in fashion and lifestyle brands.  

Since the launch of the agency in 2019, Fabric has developed some iconic campaigns for retailers including MJ Bale, General Pants and Sheridan – they are also a strategic partner of the ARA, delivering our new brand and design systems as well as other campaigns to support and promote the retail industry.    

As we head into the important festive trading period – a well-executed campaign around Christmas could make or break the fortunes for a retailer. Gemma and Keenan sat down with Paul Zahra in the Amex Lounge to talk about the upcoming Christmas shopping period and explore their top tips to retailers during this critical time.  

Paul, Keenan and Gemma discuss:  

• The time and effort that goes into bringing a Christmas campaign to life  
• Functional and tactical Christmas campaigns  
• Leaning into the mindset and emotion of people  
• The evolution of Christmas campaigns over the years  
• Taking an omni-channel approach to reach wider audiences  
• The role of online and in-store experiences  
• The uniqueness of an Australian Christmas  
• Conscious consumerism, sustainability and circularity trends  
• Iconic Christmas campaigns that have left a lasting legacy  

Check out Fabric Agency: https://www.fabricagency.com.au/

ABOUT THE ARA: 

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is Australia’s oldest, largest and most diverse retail body, representing a $360bn sector which employs one in ten Australians. Learn more: https://www.retail.org.au/ 

Learn more about American Express: https://www.americanexpress.com/au/merchant/accept-amex-cards.html