Wild Blue’s 25th Anniversary
25 Years inside the idea engine
A quarter century of Wild Blue. Marked by design excellence, innovation, and a unique creative approach to everything. To celebrate we’re sharing 25 highlights that offer a glimpse into the diverse projects and client relationships we’ve been fortunate to enjoy. Also, things move fast here so we’re only able to show photos of some, as we didn’t capture them all.
Founded in 1999, Wild Blue has not only witnessed the evolution of retail design but actively shaped it. 25 years of pushing the boundaries of design expectations and leaving an impact on communities, businesses, and the retail landscape.
Jump on board as we share some of the antics, each encapsulating a moment from our remarkable ride so far.
1
Established in 1999, Wild Blue’s name is derived from the Air Force Song ‘Into the Wild Blue Yonder.’ Our name encapsulates how we embrace the spirit of limitless creativity, where nothing is impossible.
2
Partnered with Krueger International (KI) to create an award-winning showroom at NeoCon 2011. Achieving the Large Showroom Gold Winner, the space showcased projection mapping, a technology that was relatively new at the time and enabled visual content projected on dimensional forms.
3
In 2014, we launched Stuffeteria, an e-commerce website offering unique products and functional art. These items, born as personalized holiday gifts for our clients and crafted by us, sparked the idea that others might appreciate this stuff.
4
Revamped The Wine Cellar with a customized liquor store design for beer and wine enthusiasts. Reinventing the wine and spirits category by improving visibility, adding attractive displays, and introducing innovative fixtures to make the shopping experience more inspiring and educational. A transformation that led to a notable increase in sales.
5
Developed Smile Sampler, a dispenser powered by Emotion Recognition Technology that provides a tasty sample when a smile is detected. Piloted at Chocolate World in Hershey, PA.
6
Created and installed a one-of-a-kind donor display piece pro-bono for the Leonardo da Vinci School in Green Bay. The geared wooden sun structure distinctively depicted donor names and drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions.
7
In 2015, we introduced Avatarium 3D, a specialized 3D photogramic studio creating avatars, virtual identities, and tangible products such as figurines and busts.
8
We introduced TipTop, a horizontal tabletop or vertically mounted system featuring our proprietary product recognition software. It effectively showcases a product’s features, ingredients, peer reviews, virtual reality demos, videos, and other relevant information for the shopper.
9
Michelin Tire commissioned Wild Blue to design and build an Innovation Center at its corporate campus. It was dedicated to educating retail partners on the unique characteristics used to manufacture a safer tire with superior performance and durability.
10
Collaborated with Barilla to increase category sales and conversion rates by designing a reimagined pasta aisle experience and testing the impact in a virtual reality simulation.
11
Led the conceptualization, brand development, environmental design, production and installation for The Cannery Public Market. Transforming an abandoned canning complex into a captivating restaurant, deli, and farmer’s market that made a valuable contribution to the Downtown Green Bay District.
12
Entrusted to elevate the appeal of a personal care aisle in a major retailer, we transformed it into an innovative Men’s Grooming Destination visualized in virtual reality. Users could interactively explore 3D products, adding them to their basket for purchase during testing, creating an engaging shopping experience.
13
With a rapid shift taking place with front-end pay points, Wild Blue partnered with Festival Foods to design a snacking market within the store as an alternative to checklane assortment.
14
Retrofitted an expandable tractor trailer into a mobile customer insights center wrapped in candy branding. This distinctive truck was designed to drive confection category innovation and provide valuable insights to Hershey’s retail partners across the nation.
15
With Green Bay roots, Wild Blue plays a role in designing and constructing a Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame museum experience, delivering storytelling that celebrates the team’s remarkable journey.
16
Through in-depth research into the needs and preferences of Johnny Vapes clientele, we crafted an engaging and efficient vape shop retail store that blends smart fixtures, vibrant visual identity, and art that delivers an experience that resonates with customers.
17
Teamed up with Gopuff to launch a one-of-a-kind virtual reality shopping experience at the Retail Innovation Lounge at 2018 SXSW Conference.
18
Constructed a mock car structure that integrated Affectiva’s affective response technology to provide insights into passenger satisfaction and driver attention levels.
19
Wild Blue designed, engineered, built, and installed a custom lawn mower showroom for one of Ariens/Gravely’s largest dealers. The retail showroom features a striking rotating logo and a prominently displayed mower enthroned above the sales floor.
20
In 2020, Wild Blue’s founders, Steve and Will, established ReadySet Technologies—a retail VR software for store planning. Driven by growing interest from clientele to utilize virtual reality technology for concept development and predictive analysis.
21
Wild Blue crafted Secura’s nature-inspired headquarters, where each floor reflects a different element. The design incorporates custom-designed touches like wallpaper featuring local wildlife imagery and over two hundred handcrafted bird sculptures.
22
We crafted a treat for Green Bay Packers’ fans – a doughnut vending machine! It’s currently located within Lambeau Field and delights fans with complimentary Kwik Trip Glazers during home games.
23
Transformed two construction trailers into an expansive mobile Renewables Learning Lab for Primoris Services Corporation, offering hands-on experiential education focused on construction safety and workforce efficiency.
24
Established the Industry 4.0 Innovation Lab for NWTC, a state-of-the-art educational environment designed to encourage exploration of career paths in I.O.T., Interactive, RFID, Virtual Reality, Emotive Response, and 3D Additive Printing Technologies.
25
We’ve saved the best for last. Our most groundbreaking project? The constant evolution of our own imagination. As architects of innovation, the 25th Fun Fact is an invitation to imagine with us—because the most exciting idea is the one yet to be formed. Join us in anticipating the next chapter of Wild Blue’s imaginative legacy!
Thank you for being part of our story
From reinventing retail spaces to crafting virtual realities, these 25 Fun Facts are just snapshots of the Wild Blue journey we’ve shared over 25 years. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re not just looking back at our accomplishments but setting our sights on the limitless possibilities that lie ahead.
Thank you for being part of our story, and here’s to another 25 years of pushing boundaries, sparking innovation, and making the extraordinary an everyday experience.