A merger between companies can be more fatal than fortunate – witness, for example, the catastrophe that was the union of AOL Inc. and Time Warner Inc. So when Tyco Retail Solutions (part of Johnson Controls Inc.), a developer of security products for retail stores, acquired the research firm ShopperTrak, it wanted its exhibit for the National Retail Federation expo to deftly bring the two brands together in one space.

Teaming up with Hamilton Exhibits LLC, Tyco assembled a 2,100-square-foot environment that mimed the retail stores its products protect. Visitors approaching the space first saw a looming 20-by-40-foot ceiling element made of aluminum extrusions with silicone-edge graphics (SEG) that simulated the concrete exterior of a shopping mall. Supported by a truss and positioned over the booth like a hat set at a rakish angle, the 10-foot-tall fixture clearly sported the names of the merging companies as well as some of their brands on its sides. Also hanging from the truss were spotlights submerging the booth in a warm, store-like illumination, including the honey-colored faux pine planks that were actually PVC sheets applied to BeMatrix rental frames throughout the space.

Tyco staged 11 moon-white mannequins, like those seen in typical window displays, around the booth. In one corner, two of the figures stood next to four LED screens running a constant loop of info on the ShopperTrak Global Index, which provides behavioral and store-traffic insights gleaned from more than 40 billion shopper visits annually. Several more LED monitors, ranging in size from 24 to 70 inches, were placed in niches dedicated to Tyco's other brands and repeated video demos on their capabilities in inventory control, shopper analytics, and more. Displaying its combined brands in a familiar retail-like ambience, Tyco made it easy for attendees to see what data-rich delights the company had in store for them. E