Brand theatre proves the perfect differentiator for this Buenos Aires retailer.
Found in the Barrio Norte neighborhood of Buenos Aires is this stunning bookshop called El Ateneo Grand Splendid. The bookshop is the latest incarnation of the Grand Splendid Theater, which was built in 1919. The Theatre was originally designed by architects Peró and Torres Armengol. The bookshop conversion was sympathetically handled by architect Fernando Manzone, who retained much of the original theatre, including the stage, balconies, the incredible architectural details and the red curtains.

The vision of the current owners to capture the splendor of the Grand Splendid Theatre has paid-off with this stunning space named the second most beautiful bookshop in the world by The Guardian in 2008 (the most beautiful must have been pretty damned amazing). This courageous piece of retail branding has paid-off with more than one million visitors to the book shop each year.

In the world of retail where differentiation is key, sometimes the boldest brand ideas are what’s needed to stand-out from your competitors for the long term.

Dave Ansett
David is the founder of Truly Deeply, a brand agency with 25 years experience working with brands to position them for growth. His deep expertise is in the creation of high engagement brands that attract the attention of their audience and stand out from their competitors. David has extensive experience working with corporate, retail, food & beverage and entrepreneurial clients. Find out more at…
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More info: El Ateneo Grand Splendid
Spotted on boredpanda.com
Pics: Ryan Poole, Stanley Wood, Violinha on Flickr, Céline on Flickr & Jorge Láscar