#ChristmasAtRockwell

Detail of this year's classic mall decorThis year, shoppers are in for a Christmas like they've never seen before as Rockwell Land Corporation celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Two decades plus two celebrations equals twice the thrill!

The fun begins at Power Plant Mall, where a trio of kiddie favorites is hanging out in the courtyard for the duration of the holidays—and they see you when you’re shopping!

Kevin, Stuart and Bob, jazzed up in Santa hats, seem to peek over visitors’ shoulders as they do their shopping. The “stars” of Minions, the secondhighest grossing animated film of all time, are the first pop culture characters to be incorporated into the mall’s Christmas look. As Bob the baby Minion would say, “Ooooh!”

As the longtime lead of the group that puts together Rockwell Center’s seasonal themes, landscape architect Jacko Zialcita has executed concepts for more than a dozen Rockwell Christmases.

“We’ve done hanging Santas, balls, bells, Christmas trees. There was a time we concentrated on our courtyards, then we went all vertical for about two years,” says Zialcita, a former Rockwell Land assistant vice president who now works with the company as consultant for design and planning. For the first time, the team has incorporated a trendy spin on the Christmas look that has become the Power Plant Mall trademark over the past 15 years.

“The traditional elements are still there, but we wanted something that had a ‘kid’ element, and that’s where the Minions came in,” notes marketing supervisor Christina Campaña.

Shoppers looking forward to their yuletide favorites will still have their Santa Claus, belen (crèche), lushly adorned Christmas trees and pots of poinsettia. The mall opted for a predominantly red and green color scheme as can be seen in the fairy lights and Christmas garlands that envelop the columns and extend to the arches to form a series of canopies.

The animatronic menagerie, a Power Plant Mall Christmas mainstay for about half a decade now, remains a major visitor magnet and social media favorite. This year’s new additions include singing llamas and reindeer.

“We’ve also invited different musical groups to perform at the Concourse level to usher in the Christmas spirit,” says marketing supervisor Katherine Lim.

Boosting the holiday ambience is the distinctive pine scent that permeates every nook and cranny of the mall.

Just in time for the season, exclusive-to-Rockwell establishments such as Harlan+Holden, Rajo!, Cura V and Univers and a lot more are ready to receive shoppers on the lookout for one-of-a-kind presents for their loved ones.

When hunger strikes, there’s an array of dining establishments to satisfy every taste and craving: Coco Ichinbanya, Dean and DeLuca and Kafé Batwan are just a few steps away; in addition, Fireside by Kettle will soon open at Power Plant, while Solstice, a casual all-day dining place, will be added to 8 Rockwell’s F&B arsenal.

Meanwhile, other wellloved Christmas staples have been tweaked to dovetail with Rockwell Land’s 20-year anniversary.

The company was established in 1995 to transform the 45-year-old Rockwell Thermal Power Plant into a mixed-use development; construction on Rockwell Center began in 1998, with Power Plant Mall rising on the site of the old Rockwell Thermal Power Plant building.

Some of these initiatives, including the VIP and double-stub promos, were unveiled during the formal launch of the mall’s C h r i s t m a s 2015 campaign and pre- C h r i s tma s weekend sale in mid-November. The VIP promo rewarded shoppers with perks like a VIP card entitling them to free parking at the mall for six months and free movies at the cinemas, also for six months.

“This promo did really well when it was first introduced over the summer, so we brought it back for a holiday edition,” reveals Lim.

At the same time, those who shopped at the mall during the November weekend sale received double the value of their spend in raffle tickets—a perk that will come in handy during the Christmas raffle.

Also this December, Campaña adds, the mall’s Sartorial Fridays fashion feature will have new themes weekly. To keep track of the week’s selected fashionistas, check out the hashtag #JingleBellFrock.

Of course, the most-awaited Christmas raffle has also been given a major twist—it’s now double the excitement as two luxury cars will be given away in two separate draws—a Jaguar XE on Christmas Day and a Jaguar XF on February 1, 2016.

“It’s the first time we’re going to raffle off two cars, so more chances of winning for everyone,” says Campaña.

While the marketing duo could not reveal too many details so as not to spoil the surprise, suffice it to say that there’s definitely a lot more in store for shoppers for the duration of the twin Christmas and 20th anniversary celebrations.

To be in the know and to keep updated, shoppers may check out Power Plant Mall’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and use the hashtags #ChristmasAtRockwell and #RockwellAt20 on social media sites.

Who knows, the number 20 just might prove to be lucky for several Power Plant Mall shoppers this year!

Santa's prepping his list at the Power Plant Mall North Court