Theming is the use of an overarching theme to create a holistic and integrated spatial organization of a consumer venue.
A theme is a unifying or dominant idea or motif on which any new construction idea, new style generation, any product is designed. It is the process of designing and constructing an object or space so that the particular subject or idea on which the style of something is based is made clear through the “synthesis of recognizable symbols with spatial forms.”
Theming is applied to an environment in order to create a memorable and meaningful experience for individuals or groups that visit the space, and can be expressed through the use of architecture, decor, signage, music and sound design, costuming, integrated technology, special effects, and other techniques.
Theming is increasingly used to create physical spaces for "
experiential marketing
Engagement marketing (sometimes called experiential marketing, brand activation, on-ground marketing, live marketing, participation marketing, loyalty marketing, or special events) is a marketing strategy that directly engages consumers and invit ...
,” in which consumers can connect and interact with a brand.
Historically, most large-scale themed environments were primarily designed for entertainment, so the industry that creates these venues is known as themed entertainment. Examples include
theme parks
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...
, water parks, museums, zoos, visitor centers, casinos,
theme restaurants, and resorts.
[About Us](_blank)
Themed Entertainment Association. Retrieved 2018-03-02. Theming is also increasingly used on smaller scale projects, including parties and product launches, to make these events more impactful.
Common themes include holidays (such as
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
,
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
, and
Valentine’s Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions it ha ...
), historical eras (such as the
medieval period
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
and the
American frontier
The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the Geography of the United States, geography, History of the United States, history, Folklore of the United States, folklore, and Cultur ...
), cultures (such as
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
and
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture is the culture of the indigenous peoples of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. The development of Polynesian culture is typically divided into four different historical eras:
* Exploration and ...
), and literary genres (such as
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures.
The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
and
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
).
History
Theming has been used in public spaces at least as far back as the
World’s Fairs of the Nineteenth Century. Professor Susan Ingram argues that the
Great Exhibition of 1851
Great may refer to:
Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
* Artel Great (bo ...
in London was, in effect, the world’s first theme park, utilizing theming to further its pro-industrial message, and reproducing foreign lands as spectacle. The
World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago introduced a separate
midway, filled not only with attractions like the first
Ferris Wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a big wheel, giant wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondola ...
, but also exhibits of cultures from around the world, including reproductions of villages from many nations. Themed simulations, including the Italian Capri Grotto and a Hawaiian volcano, were made possible for the first time by combining electricity, theatrical displays, and mechanical devices.
Themed dining can also trace its roots to the late 1800s. In the 1890s, at least three different elaborately themed nightclubs were operating Paris, using themes of death, hell, and heaven. Soon after, in response to growing automobile usage, theming was applied to roadside architecture in the United States, and buildings themselves became advertisements aimed at passing motorists. Beginning in the 1920s, a number of
novelty architecture
Novelty architecture, also called programmatic architecture or mimetic architecture, is a type of architecture in which buildings and other structures are given unusual shapes for purposes such as advertising or to copy other famous buildings. ...
buildings were constructed in and around Hollywood, including the famous
Brown Derby
Brown Derby was a chain of restaurants in Los Angeles, California. The first and best known was shaped like a derby hat, an iconic image that became synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood. It was opened by Wilson Mizner in 1926. The chai ...
restaurants and Bulldog Cafe. At the same time, the popular Egyptian Revival movement saw a range of buildings themed to
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
, including everything from apartments to
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, also known as Egyptian Hollywood and the Egyptian, is a historic movie theater located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Opened in 1922, it is an early example of a lavish movie palace ...
. Dozens of so-called “programmatic” or “mimetic” style structures were built in the Los Angeles area in the interwar years of 1918–1941, many of them restaurants, including buildings shaped like animals, food, and vehicles.
The forerunners to today’s themed mega-resorts were the
El Rancho Vegas, opened in 1941, and the
Last Frontier, opened in 1942, the first two properties on the
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits ...
, both with Wild West themes. They were followed by even more elaborately themed hotels, including
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks.
Caesar ...
in 1966 and
Circus Circus in 1968.
The term “
theme park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...
” came into use circa 1960, likely to describe the many parks built across the United States and around the world following the successful opening of
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
in 1955. Though arguably not the first theme park, Disneyland was the first amusement park to combine multiple named areas (“lands”) with different themes. Theme parks have followed this pattern ever since, including some that have explicitly copied Disneyland’s design.
Theming has also been applied to retail environments. The advent of mass production led to the creation of large department stores in Europe in the late Nineteenth Century, and in an early example of theming, many used elaborate displays and windows to attract shoppers. In the 1980s,
Banana Republic
In political science, the term ''banana republic'' describes a politically and economically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the export of natural resource.A banana republic is a country with an economy of state capitalism, where th ...
reinforced its brand as a travel and safari clothing company by theming its stores with Jeeps and jungle foliage. Beginning in 1987, the
Disney Store
The Disney Store is a chain of specialty stores created on March 28, 1987, and sells only Disney-related items, many of them exclusive, under its own name and Disney Outlet. It is a business unit of the Disney Experiences division of The Walt Disn ...
chain used theming to popularize the idea of “retail-tainment,” creating a new category of entertainment stores, later copied by competitors. Today, as a response to the growth of online shopping, both individual stores and entire retail complexes like malls are turning to theming to attract customers to physical locations.
Scholarship
In 1997, urbanist
Mark Gottdiener’s ''The Theming of America: Dreams, Visions, and Commercial Spaces'' was published. It is considered by many to be the first serious work to explore the origins, nature, and future of themed environments. A revised second edition was published in 2001.
Also in 1997, the
Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal presented ''The Architecture of Reassurance: Designing the Disney Theme Parks'', the first exhibition of some 350 objects from the archives of
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc.—commonly referred to as Walt Disney Imagineering, Imagineering, or WDI—is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construc ...
, including plans, drawings, paintings and models for the Disney theme parks and their attractions. Professor Karal Ann Marling curated the exhibit and wrote the principal essay for the accompanying 224 page book, which also included essays by Disney Imagineer
Marty Sklar, historian Neil Harris, art historian
Erika Doss
Erika Lee Doss is an American educator and author. She currently holds the EODIAH Distinguished Chair in Art History Professorship in The Edith O'Donnell Institute of Art History at the University of Texas at Dallas. Formerly, she was a professor a ...
, geographer
Yi-Fu Tuan
Yi-Fu Tuan (; December 5, 1930 – August 10, 2022) was a Chinese-born American geographer and writer. He was one of the key figures in human geography and an important originator of humanistic geography.
Early life and education
Born in 193 ...
, and critic
Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus (né Gerstley; born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics.
Biogra ...
, as well as an interview with architect
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry ( ; ; born February 28, 1929) is a Canadian-American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become attractions.
Gehry rose to prominence in th ...
.
Author Scott A. Lukas has written and edited numerous books and articles on themed entertainment, including his first, ''The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation, and Self'', published in 2007. He teaches on the subject of theme parks and themed spaces, video games, popular film, and various forms of popular culture and remaking.
In 2010, Dean Peter Weishar and Professor George Head began work on a themed entertainment design program at
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. In the fall of 2012, the SCAD School of Film, Digital Media and Performing Arts separated into two schools: the School of Digital Media and the School of Entertainment Arts, which began offering the nation’s first M.F.A. in themed entertainment design. Peter Weishar went on to create the Themed Experience Institute program at
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
.
Criticism
As perhaps the best known example of theming, the theme park Disneyland has often been a target for criticism. In his overwhelmingly negative review, ''Disneyland and Las Vegas'', published in ''
The Nation
''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...
'' upon the opening of the park, writer Julian Halevy lamented:
Noted author
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...
responded with a letter to the editor, published three years later, titled ''Not Child Enough'':
Another notable criticism of theming, again targeting Disneyland and its guests, can be found in French sociologist
Jean Baudrillard
Jean Baudrillard (, ; ; – 6 March 2007) was a French sociology, sociologist and philosopher with an interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as well as hi ...
’s 1981 treatise ''
Simulacra and Simulation
''Simulacra and Simulation'' () is a 1981 philosophical treatise by the philosopher and cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard, in which he seeks to examine the relationships between reality, symbols, and society, in particular the significations ...
'':
Along with Baudrillard, the Italian writer
Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 – 19 February 2016) was an Italian Medieval studies, medievalist, philosopher, Semiotics, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. In English, he is best known for his popular ...
helped develop the idea of “
hyperreality
Hyperreality is a concept in post-structuralism that refers to the process of the evolution of notions of reality, leading to a cultural state of confusion between signs and symbols invented to stand in for reality, and direct perceptions of co ...
,” or the world of "the Absolute Fake," in which imitations don't merely reproduce reality, but try to improve on it. Eco traveled to tourist attractions across the United States and wrote frequently about "America's obsession with simulacra and counterfeit reality.”
More recently, concerns have been raised about theming’s role in influencing consumers, sometimes subconsciously, as part of experiential retailing or “shoppertainment.” Kim Einhorm, director of Theme Traders, points out that “theming becomes an invisible form of branding.”
Indeed, because theming has become such a commonplace aspect of so many people’s everyday lives, the public is often unwilling or unable to effectively understand its consequences.
Some have even argued that the growth of experiential marketing is contributing to a degraded quality of life by eliminating “contemplative time.”
Industry
In 1920, following the dissolution of several earlier organizations, the National Association of Amusement Parks (NAAP) was formed. In 1934 it merged with the American Association of Pools and Beaches (AAPB) to form the National Association of Amusement Parks, Pools, and Beaches (NAAPPB). After several name changes, it became the
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions in 1962. Today, IAAPA represents more than 5,300 members from more than 100 countries, including many companies and individuals in the themed entertainment industry.
The
Themed Entertainment Association was founded in 1991 to organize small businesses in the industry. Today it has some 1,300 members, and divisions around the world. It hosts annual conferences and presents awards to individuals, parks, attractions, exhibits, and experiences.
A number of former employees of
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc.—commonly referred to as Walt Disney Imagineering, Imagineering, or WDI—is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construc ...
, Disney’s in-house design and construction subsidiary, went on to form their own themed entertainment companies, some of which later collaborated with Disney on theme park projects.
Gary Goddard left Imagineering to start what became the Goddard Group, now known as Legacy , GGE.
Bill Novey oversaw the special effects for Epcot Center and Tokyo Disneyland before leaving to start Art & Technology, Inc.
Bob Rogers left to found BRC Imagination Arts.
Bran Ferren founded Associates & Ferren, which was acquired by Disney in 1993. Ferren eventually left Disney to start another company, Applied Minds, LLC.
Phil Hettema worked for both Disney and
Universal Creative before starting
The Hettema Group.
Other companies serve organizations and individuals looking to incorporate theming into offices, product launch events, and even parties
Theme Tradersis a London-based event theming company that serves this niche.
Examples
Theme Parks
*
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
(Anaheim, California, US)
*
Europa-Park (Rust, Germany)
*
Lotte World
Lotte World or Lotte World Adventure () is a theme park and major recreation complex in Seoul, South Korea. Opened in July 1989, Lotte World consists of a large indoor theme park, an outdoor amusement park called "Magic Island", shopping mall ...
(Seoul, South Korea)
*
Efteling
Efteling () is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient European myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore.
The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a ...
(Kaatsheuvel, The Netherlands)
Theme Restaurants
*
Buns and Guns (Beirut, Lebanon)
*
Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe is a jungle-Theme restaurant, themed restaurant chain owned by Landry's, Landry's, Inc. of Houston. The first location opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, on February 3, 1994. By 1997, the chain consisted of ...
(Worldwide)
*
Rollercoaster Restaurant (Europe / Middle East)
Themed Hotels
*
Chimelong Hengqin Bay Hotel (Zhuhai, China)
*
Hard Days Night Hotel (Liverpool, England)
*
Luxor Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada, US)
*
The Red Caboose Motel (Strasburg, Pennsylvania, US)
Themed Retail Brand Stores
*
American Girl Place (US / Canada / U.A.E.)
*
M&M's World (US / England / China)
See also
*
Theme park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...
*
Theme restaurant
*
Themed Entertainment AssociationThemed Decor for Children's Spaces
References
{{Reflist
Architectural design
Semiotics
Promotion and marketing communications