advertising campaigns

Description

The Kohler Design Center has occupied a historic three-story building since 1985. Previously a recreation hall for village residents, the structure is now home to a 36,000 square foot showcase of Kohler products, design ideas, and town history. While one might anticipate the perfunctory wall of toilets, this facility contains so much more. A central atrium area showcases modern tub and shower designs, ranging from typical whirlpools to exotic waterfall tubs and multi-head showers. The periphery of this space is carved into various kitchen and bath vignettes, each showcasing an overall design crafted by some of the industry's premier kitchen and bath designers. Styles and features run the gamut from whimsical children's bathroom environments—complete with faux wildlife and a mural—to ultra-modern layouts that showcase some futuristic plumbing technology and features, to out-of-this-world resort spa-like environments that will make you feel a million miles from everyday life. The facility's lower level is a museum, documenting the history of the company, which started in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, by Austrian immigrant John Michael Kohler. After years of fabricating cast-iron implements for area farmers, the Kohler Company became famous for plumbing when, in 1883, Kohler developed enamel powder, heated it to 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit, sprinkled on the powder and thereby created the first enamel coated, cast-iron bathtub. The earliest print advertisement for this invention called it a "horse trough/hog scalder," which, "when furnished with four legs will serve as a bathtub." The museum documents the evolving product lines, style, and colors through the decades, as well as the bold advertising campaigns for which the company has become famous. The museum also documents the history of the Village of Kohler, which sprang up when John Michael Kohler decided, in the first decade of the 20th Century, to move the company out of Sheboygan to a rural area four miles away. Today, Kohler still does more than plumbing fixtures. It's other products include industrial engines and generators, furniture, and resort vacation properties. The Kohler Design Center is open seven days a week to the public with no admission, featuring free coffee and—of course—spectacular restrooms!