Introduction
The mall in the movie “Dawn of the Dead” represents a distinct change in consumer culture within the 1970s wherein a focus on aesthetics and convenience has made shopping into what one can consider as an “experience” rather than the drudgery that it used to represent. When looking at the mall within the study it can be seen that despite the hordes of undead zombies occupying its interior there is a distinct level of aesthetics that went into its development.
The interiors are large, pleasing to the eye and have an assortment of modern conveniences that allow a person to go from one section of the mall to another and obtain anything that you may need ranging from beauty products, clothes to even mechanical tools from a hardware store.
Explaining Aesthetics and Convenience
What you have to understand is that this focus on aesthetics is no mere coincidence; rather, it is a manifestation of changes that have occurred to the modern day consumer wherein the concept of shopping has been conceptualized into a pleasurable experience due to the way in which most shopping establishments have been created. This can actually be seen in the present wherein many of today’s modern malls have made it easier to access a variety of goods and services that make consumers want to come back repeatedly.
Explaining the Consumer Experience
On way to explain this can be seen in a documented interview involving entrepreneurs Rob and Pablo, creators of “Snog”, a U.K. based chain of yogurt outlets, who state the following: “now we are in a recession and we see businesses that are successful, I think the one thing you see that they all have is the experience which is the most important part in everything, so we made sure that there was an experience”.
The “experience” that Rob and Pablo refer to is not just the quality of the product itself but what customers feel when they enter into a particular establishment.
In the case of Snog, all their outlets have a warm and friendly ambiance which is not only family friendly but actually promotes, in their words, “a happy feeling” for customers. A similar example can be seen in the case of Apple Inc., all of their stores, no matter what country they are present in, have a stylish and ergonomic design that looks “clean, modern and cutting edge” which has come to exemplify the experience of buying products at an Apple store.
Based on the popularity of not only Snog but of Apple itself, it can be seen that by making their store into an “experience” rather than just a store; this helps to encourage buying behavior among their clientele and even repeat visits. A similar case can be seen in the mall which is definitely a direct appeal to the concepts of aesthetics and convenience.
Even the sheer amount of zombies within the mall is clear evidence of the popularity of the establishment prior to the zombie apocalypse. Thus, the mall in the film helps to show the changing tastes in consumer culture involving shopping experiences wherein it is no longer just about getting the items you need but the convenience and aesthetic quality you experience while doing so.
Conclusion
All in all, the mall within the movie helps to reveal how consumers are now attracted to convenience and aesthetics when it comes to shopping wherein the concept of having an “experience” is just as the act of buying goods and services.