It’s one of the busiest thoroughfares in the Sydney CBD. From the New South Wales Parliament on Macquarie Street down to the old Westpac building on George Street, Martin Place is the centre of Sydney commercial, banking and boutique shopping district. The hustle and bustle of people — office workers, commuters, tourists and day trippers — make Martin Place the go-to destination for reaching out to the consumer population, so much so, it has dubbed ‘Marketing Place’.

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But whereas people run a mile from the myriad charity mugger (“chuggers”) and lame PR activations, the current exhibition catching the eyes of passer-bys is dignified, welcoming and beautifully curated.

It’s called the Good Design Showcase and it is running as a adjunct event to the Good Design Awards, held last week in Sydney. As a partner event with Vivid Sydney, the Good Design Showcase leverages the runaway success of this spectacular festival of light, music and ideas to introduce the best in appliances and consumer electronics — among all the other categories — to the general public. In a time when retailers and suppliers alike bemoan the lack of foot traffic, this Showcase provides a fantastic icebreaker to the consumers and product conversation.

Glenn Andrew, managing director of Dyson ANZ, is excited by the prospect of consumers being able to see inside a machine, at the intricate engineering that goes on inside an Air Multiplied.

“The beauty of Dyson machines is in how they work, but the intricate mechanisms are usually hidden from view,” Andrew said. “So, this year, we have sliced the vacuums and fans in half so that their technological guts are on display. People can get a glimpse inside the engineering marvels. Revealing the secrets of Dyson at the Good Design exhibition is very exciting.”

Breville is another brand being showcased at the exhibition. Unlike the British Dyson, Breville is an Australian brand with much of design and engineering taking place in Sydney, under the stewardship of design and innovation director Richard Hoare. He described this installation as a “stroke of genius”.

“With Breville’s expansion internationally, design awards offer significant value to its new markets,” Hoare said. ”
“However, as an Australian company with a very experienced and talented design team, the Good Design Awards are particularly special.

“The Martin Place Good Design Showcase is a stroke of genius. The Vivid Festival is one of Sydney’s hottest outdoor events and draws a wide cross section of people into the city, including international travelers who will have experience of Breville in their home country.”

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Winner Winner! The yet-to-be-released Dyson Cool was named Best in Category for Domestic Appliances at the 2014 Good Design Awards and it takes pride of place in the appliances booth. As per Dyson ANZ MD Glenn Andrew’s comments, you can see the half-a-Dyson in the background.
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Even the glass cases with their distinctive D form factors are eye catching — and that’s before you’ve seen the incredible products within.
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Braun was a winner for its Series 9 shaver.
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One of the best things about this showcase is how obvious it is that the products featured have been deemed a cut above the rest by a respected panel. The curators have done an excellent job conveying the superior nature of this appliances and consumer electronics.
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The shade cast by the buildings either side of Martin Place played havoc with my lighting but I still like this shot down the strip.
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There’s also great products across homewares, sport and leisure, housing and architecture and medical and scientific to check out.
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The 2013 Appliance Retailer Appliance of the Year, the Breville Oracle, gets a run!

The 2014 Good Design Showcase is running in Martin Place through Monday 9 June 2014.