• by Tanya Gazdik , August 15, 2011

Luxury department store Barneys New York is enlisting music superstar Lady Gaga to reinterpret Santa's workshop as part of its holiday campaign.

The retailer has worked closely with Lady Gaga to design a range of exclusive, limited-edition, small gift items, which will be available for a limited time only at Gaga's Workshop. In addition to Gaga's Workshop in New York, a selection of items from the collection will also be available at Barneys New York locations nationwide and online at Barneys.com.

The retailer will donate 25% of sales from all items featured in the workshop to a charity of Lady Gaga's choice.

For the first time ever, Barneys New York will convert an entire floor of its Madison Avenue flagship for the holiday initiative. Starting in mid-November, Gaga's Workshop will be brought to life throughout the fifth floor of the Men's Store and the store's Madison Avenue windows. Barneys New York CEO Mark Lee said it would be the largest and most encompassing holiday theme ever mounted by the upscale fashion retailer.

The foot traffic will be what provides the real boon to Barneys' business, says Michael Stone, CEO and founder of Beanstalk and an authority on celebrity collaborations.

"I anticipate this to be a huge attraction during the holiday season, the busiest time in New York City for two iconic New York brands," Stone tells Marketing Daily. "Think about this from a social media and a viral standpoint: With the amount of photos and check-ins from millennial consumers that flock to Barneys' in December, the attraction will likely be seen by millions and millions of consumers, whether in-person or online."

In terms of Barneys' image, the linkup adds an element of "edginess and excitement with a mass appeal," he adds. "There aren't many pop stars right now that can keep audiences and fans on the edge of their seat the way Lady Gaga can," Stone says. "The anticipation and buzz are already building. Both loyal and casual fans are going to flock to this exhibit, some so young that they may still think Barney is a singing purple dinosaur."

The collaboration is likely aimed at targeting a mass audience but also the younger, hipper millennial customer set. "The goal is to extend the Barneys brand to reach a new customer audience -- not only attract them to visit the store, but establish an association with a global music and fashion icon and borrow some of that brand equity to drive their own business," he says.

Joining the songstress in creating the designs are artists Eli Sudbrack and Christophe Hamaide Pierson of Assume Vivid Astro Focus (AVAF), and Mugler Creative Director and Lady Gaga Fashion Director Nicola Formichetti.

Working with the Barneys New York team under the direction of Creative Director Dennis Freedman, AVAF has designed the signature artwork for Gaga's Workshop which will also be featured on special holiday shopping bags and packaging.

Known for their visually spectacular and multimedia installations, AVAF's work will be seen throughout Gaga's Workshop in the Madison Avenue flagship store and windows, as well as through the various materials and products.