If you have been to the pedestrian plaza outside Rockefeller Center in recent months, you may have noticed the brightly colored kiosks emblazoned with the slogan “We Love the ’90s.” The screens are advertising a line of clothing and accessories, all of which carry the “95 ‘90s iconography you know and love, in 2019″ tagline.
Shoppers who see these kiosks every time they pass through the plaza typically have just one reaction: nostalgia. “It’s just really fun,” said Elizabeth Turoff, 52, a Manhattan lawyer, who stopped to take a look. “It’s really nostalgic and really fun.”
Turoff had probably encountered the station’s images before — she said she often came into Rockefeller Center in her winter coat and boyfriend’s hat while wearing an “all-American look.” Like the new items, she said she liked that the new designs had nothing to do with the things she used to wear. “I didn’t grow up in the ‘90s,” she said. “But I can picture what people were wearing.”
The kiosks are part of the Opening Ceremony and NYC & Company campaign, which promotes the brand’s new line of fashion and accessories. From Jan. 30 until March 31, the shop on 30 Rockefeller Plaza hosted a pop-up shop filled with products that featured images of 90s landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Plaza Hotel in New York, as well as ‘90s icons like Christina Aguilera, LL Cool J and RuPaul.
The windows, which the company says will be changing every 10 days through April, have been a huge hit, the company said. They’ve also been a particularly good piece of advertising, said Lance Jiang, the creative director for NYC & Company.
“Holiday windows are a very big push for us,” he said. “The underlying message is love the ‘90s — just love the ‘90s. The theme fits beautifully with all the things we’re doing during the ‘90s month.”
In addition to the ‘90s theme, the windows also include “the iconic images we know you love and love to shop: Chrissy Teigen, Jessica Chastain, Tiffany Haddish, Mark Ronson and Usher,” the company said in a release.
While the campaign has drawn customers in droves, it has also spurred complaints from people who say the store’s artwork is “gay” and “very sexual.”
“The store is causing a lot of noise from traffic,” wrote Paula who was holding an umbrella during the afternoon storm. “It’s distracting and disturbing. We would like the store to move the windows closer to Central Park.”
For now, however, the popular holiday windows are ready to keep customers happy, at least for now. “It’s a great idea,” said Julia who walked by the store with her son in a backpack. “Love the ‘90s.”