The concept of Santastic was developed by GGP as part of the company’s strategic plan to raise the bar with consumers’ holiday experiences at shopping centers - making the mall more than just a place to shop by weaving it into the fabric of the community. Chicago Scenic’s Director of Creative Development Jeff Bartle took GGP’s concept and designed the whimsical village that welcomes families and imparts the charming message, “Santa believes in you, too.”

Each village featured four structures, including the North Pole Mail Center where kids can deposit their letters to Santa.

Santastic is a larger-than-life holiday experience that was installed in three General Growth malls (Tucson, AZ; Baltimore, MD; and Baton Rouge, LA). Each installation featured four structures: the North Pole Mail Center, the Power Station (featuring a Naughty or Nice Meter), the Santa Center, and the Toy Conveyor Belt.

The flexible footprint of the village varied with each mall; the tallest of the buildings was an awe-inspiring 20 feet. Each element of the village was carefully packed up and trucked off to its final destination where a Chicago Scenic team installed them with care.

The toy conveyor belt magically wrapped gifts along the way.

Visitors to Santastic were entertained by many different magical effects, including an animated chimney that looked like Santa was sliding down, personal readings on the “Naughty or Nice” meter and a mailbox that puffed out snow when opened. A toy conveyor belt also continuously transported toys from the elves’ workshop to a wrapping station and then into Santa’s giant bag.