Have you heard about the Knoll flagship store in Paris? They’ve made a few cosmetic changes to their exterior, but not in the usual way of paint or signage, and certainly nothing permanent. For the next few weeks, they’re going a bit Hollywood with two giant movie screens that feature a film about the courtship of the Knoll founders to both lure and entertain while promoting their latest furniture line. Genius!

Of course, the average boutique doesn’t have the funds to go to such great lengths for a storefront, but Knoll isn’t exactly average. It makes me think of the payback though. Sure, they’ve invested a ton of cash on this installation, but look at the return. Lots of media attention. Remember our recent Shop Girl discussion on foot traffic? Perhaps this is a great teaching example for small storefront owners. Go dramatic, do something that shakes the foundation a little bit, grab media attention with a creative display of your own storefront for a few weeks. Of course, if you rent, you’ll have to clear things by the landlord and neighbors, I’m sure there’s lots of red tape, but if you could somehow contain your display inside the store, using the window space to attract attention, it may be a bit easier for you to pull it off. It’s so easy to fall into display ruts, but visual merchandising, or window dressing, can be as wild ‘n crazy as you’d like it to be. Just look at the extravagant windows that Simon Doonan pulls off at Barney’s around the holidays. The man is unstoppable. While film screens are a bit over the top (unless you’re in Paris), you can accomplish something great on a budget for your own shop. Think grand instead of bland.

If you’ll be in Paris between now and April 15th (don’t we wish), you can catch their evening show at 268 Boulevard Saint-Germain. Learn more and see more here.