spark360 Behind The Scenes: Carpet One DFW

Any floor covering company worth a darn is going to keep up with the latest trends and styles in interior design. If granite tile is all the rage, then they’ll be stocking enough samples to accommodate a Las Vegas spa. If hardwood floors are in vogue, then that company’s warehouse should be stacked to the ceiling with planks ready for the forklifts.

And if the children in your family are screaming for everything and anything Disney/Pixar, then you better provide that option for style-conscious parents.

That was made clear to me when I walked through the doors of the Carpet One DFW showroom in Grapevine, Texas, and was immediately accosted by the in-store advertising and samples for carpets and rugs branded with favorite Disney/Pixar characters. A child-sized poster featured Buzz Lightyear and Woody from “Toy Story 3,” which was just a week or so away from hitting theaters when the spark360 team visited the Dallas floor company’s showroom to shoot interviews with executives and grab some video of employees interacting with customers. The poster featured a cutout oval where Woody’s face would be, so kids could stick their heads in there and pose for pictures with Buzz – probably all the while singing “You’ve Got A Friend In Me.”

As a father whose 4-year-old son sleeps on “Cars” bedsheets featuring Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater, I could definitely relate to the marketing magic going on in the showroom. In fact, I got a chuckle out of the “Cars” carpet sample: a bunch of tire tracks crisscrossing the fabric. (You should be able to see that in the picture I’ve included with this post.)

Naturally, the ever-popular Disney Princesses aren’t left out of this merchandising deal; there are plenty of choices featuring Cinderella and Belle, along with Tinkerbell from the Disney Fairies collection and, of course, Winnie The Pooh.

I’m certainly not surprised by this blending of pop culture and design – it’s been going on for a while and Disney has long shown itself to be a master of such mergers. And the Disney/Pixar items I saw were just one example of a wide selection available to Carpet One DFW’s target audience of homeowners and small businesses. But the appeal to kid’s tastes resonates with me more as I watch my own children grow. They’re the ones, after all, who will be spending a lot of time in their rooms, either to play or for “time-outs;” they might as well enjoy the surroundings – including the floors – while they’re in there.

- Renay San Miguel