Always—and still— a Rockwell Christmas

At 17 meters, the Christmas tree at the P1 Level is the tallest among the Power Plant Mall treesBuildings contoured by lights that sparkle amidst a sea of skyscrapers, towering Christmas trees, ceilings and hallways adorned with festive details and thrilling yuletide festivities—it’s always a Rockwell Christmas as the mall seeks to deliver more meaningful experiences this year.

The elegant, creative decorations are what customers look forward to each year as Rockwell is known for pulling out all the stops in creating a welcoming atmosphere at Christmastime. And this year, as the metro celebrates its second Christmas in lockdown, Rockwell decided to go for something new yet familiar.

“We wanted to have the autumn feel as the focal point, which is different from what we’ve been doing the past years,” says architect Jacko Zialcita, Rockwell Land Corporation assistant vice president for design and planning. “To better showcase the theme, we made use of the off-white facade of the mall columns as the background, making it brighter and lighter.”

Light and bright

Light and bright might also describe the team’s spirits during the planning sessions, with Rockwell employees being 100% fully vaccinated and the country’s COVID cases on a steady downward trend in the past weeks. There is more activity, and malls and restaurants are being allowed more business compared to the gloomy year before. In Rockwell’s case, it is now able to continue more of the customs that make up a Rockwell Christmas.

“Rockwell always ensures that it creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere at Christmastime. Lighting up the city skyline with bright dura lights and the festive mall décor have been traditions the community enjoys, from residents to mall patrons,” the Rockwell team notes.

The Rockwell Christmas trees are always among the prettiest and most photographed in the metro, and this year’s creations have expectedly attracted (physical-distancing) shoppers. In all, it took 54 service providers a total of six days to meticulously dress up three Power Plant Mall trees—the seven-meter-tall tree at the R1 Expansion near Starbucks, the 12-meter-tall tree at the North Court near Marks & Spencer, and the 17-meter behemoth at the P1 Level near Shawa Wama.

It’s not only the gigantic Christmas trees and the cute animal display that are back for Christmas at Power Plant Mall as another Rockwell staple makes its return this year.

The raffle returns

“As part of our efforts to deliver a Rockwell Christmas experience, we’re bringing back a tradition that everyone has been missing—the annual car raffle—but with an interesting twist as redemption is done digitally for a safer and more convenient experience,” the team explains.

The cars made their last pre-pandemic appearance in 2019 when Rockwell gave away an Audi A4 or Audi Q2 in the regular raffle and an Audi Q5 in a special draw for shoppers with a spend of at least P500,000.

Customers’ receipts come with a code that they only need to type into their Rockwellist mobile app. The corresponding raffle entries and rewards points will then be reflected in their account in real time.

Shoppers will have the chance to win the grand prize, a Land Rover Defender 110 (Explorer Pack), and become an Elite VIP. They will get to enjoy discounts and gifts from Rockwell and its establishments as they earn points on the app. An accumulated P500,000 in purchases from Nov. 5, 2021 to Jan. 31, 2022 will give shoppers 5,000 rewards points.

Those who are leery about going out and would rather shop from home or even customers who are traveling during the holidays will still get to join the raffle via Rockwell On Demand, Rockwell’s buying assistance service.

Holiday merchandise

For shoppers still with names to check off their Christmas list, there’s Rockwell’s newest holiday merchandise on shop.TheRockwellist.com. The collection is composed of customized insulated tumblers in partnership with Klean Kanteen, exclusive Rockwellist scented candles and diffusers made by Scentsmith Perfumery, Christmas confections specially concocted by CMV Txokolat, and a special limited-edition tote.

To enhance the Christmas spirit, Rockwell Goes Streetside, an all-day alfresco dining destination on Lopez Drive and Plaza Drive, put up weekend holiday fairs in partnership with ArteFino, Spectrum and The Tasting Club that carry locally crafted apparel, accessories, home items and charcuterie sets—perfect presents for friends and family.

The same pleasurable dining experience extends to Rockwell’s Greater Retail properties. The Rockwell communities in these areas can safely enjoy their Christmas meals amidst lush scenery and picturesque surroundings.

Dining with a view

Rockwell’s lifestyle destination up north, Arton Strip, offers outdoor dining with a view featuring crowd-favorite dishes from Conti’s Bakeshop & Restaurant, authentic Italian cuisine from Sicilian Roast and everyday staples from Starbucks. Perfect for the Christmas season, the Rockwell community in Katipunan, Quezon City can safely spend their holiday meals with live music.

The Grove Retail Row in Pasig has just wrapped up its Holiday Market where local brands such as Pinkie’s Farm, Amaani, Plural and Co, and more served up appetizing eats and handcrafted novelties. Here, customers capped their hunt for stocking stuffers with a sumptuous meal in a festive atmosphere.

Not to be left out of the fun are Santolan Town Plaza patrons, who can shop and dine in style as they are entitled to a free limited-edition leather and canvas Rockwellist tote bag when they spend P50,000 in a single transaction or accumulated purchases from Nov. 19, 2021 to Jan. 31, 2022.

As the country strives to make its way back from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team acknowledges the Lopez Group for being its unstinting advocate.

“The Lopez Group has always been part of the Rockwell community and has always supported our campaigns. We’re very grateful and we look forward to more initiatives with them that will help bring hope and joy to residents and customers alike,” the Rockwell team says. (Story/Photos by: Anina Reyes)

The animal display at Power Plant Mall