We all know that Harry and David flaunts some of the best food photography — make that photography, period — in the business. But as its Cool Fruit 2001 catalog shows, Harry and David is much more than pretty pictures.
The spring catalog features “an excellent mix of products, from its core fruit offerings to secondary items for entertaining,” said a judge. The pages pop with bing cherries, plump blueberries, and Harry and David’s renowned Royal Riviera pears and Oregold peaches. And there’s a wide selection of gift baskets in an equally wide range of price points, and the Fruit of the Month Clubs and other continuity clubs that the marketer is known for. But the catalog also features several spreads of flowers, plants, and wreaths; of cakes and cookies; and of meats and salmon.
And the catalog includes what is dubbed “a special supplement for gracious living” — 16 pages of dining furniture, tabletop items, and cooking accoutrements, again in a range of price points. So while the customer is on the phone ordering a Grand Fruit Basket for Mother’s Day, she might well decide to add a Pear Cookie Jar or a set of Pressed Glass Goblets for herself.
Like the merchandise mix, the product copy makes a point of pitching some items as gifts for others and some as gifts for the giver. The description of the Tackle Box Chocolates, for instance, begins “They’ll admire this new assortment even before they open it…” But the copy for the Maverick Oregold Peaches declares “You’ll find them to have the naturally sweet juice and pure peach flavor that have made these peaches so highly sought-after. True, their color may not be as uniform as our gift-quality fruit. But here’s an excellent opportunity to please yourself…” And an excellent way to increase the number of items per order!
Because gifts account for so much of its business, Harry and David knows that customer service is paramount. So the order form spells out the cutoff dates for ordering in time for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and it promotes next-day shipping and a reservation gift service (“We’ll hold your orders and ship them to arrive by the dates you request.”). It also directs customers to the Harvest Report page on its Website and the toll-free Harvest Hotline, which provide harvest conditions and indicate how they may be affecting shipment schedules. Furthermore, the solid guarantee is emphasized throughout the catalog. In short, “the customer service policies are very liberal and customer-oriented,” said a judge.
Okay, okay — we’ll discuss the photography. But really, what is there to say? Beautiful, stunning, crisp, seductive — it’s all been said before. So let’s end with the words of one judge: “Every page says yum!”
Bear Creek Corp.
2518 S. Pacific Hwy.
Medford, OR 97501
541-864-2018
www.harryanddavid.com
Company founded: 1934
Director: Estin B. Kiger
Designer: Sheila Chambers
Production director: Neal Schuler
Merchandisers: Denise Tedaldi, Brenda Spencer
Copywriter: Marcus G. Smith
Photographers: J. Bowie, R. Anderson, E. Groetzinger
Marketing directors: Mike Zodrow, Dan Jones
Printer: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.
Color separator/prepress provider: Color Control
List broker: American List Counsel
Cover paper: 60 lb.
Text paper: 43 lb.
Number of pages: 70
Trim size: 8″ × 10-1/2″