22nd ANNUAL MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT AWARDS

Spin-off

SILVER: PRINT CHANNEL

Patagonia | Patagonia Surf 2006
Surf is most definitely up for this Patagonia spin-off title. As you would expect from the manufacturer/marketer of outdoor apparel — and any mailer trying to capture the excitement of the sport — image is everything. Vivid photography helps sell surfing clothing and gear, such as $45 Wavefarer board shorts, a $75 10-ft. surfboard bag, and a $190 lightweight R4 jacket. The judges agreed that Patagonia is “hanging 10” with this effort, and awarded the new catalog the Silver. Cowabunga!

Why it won a Silver Award
In a word, the cover is “compelling,” said one judge. The progressive four-box photo sequence showing a surfer in action draws you in to the book. Not only are there “great images” on the cover, according to another panelist, but Patagonia makes “good use of paper.” On the second page is a sort of family history complete with surfing photos and a 1965 family picture.

Copy and merchandising earned high marks from the judges as well. “Engaging use of stories and products,” said one panelist. “The large headlines for non-product stories are a great testament to their focus.”

For an example of the prose, here's the copy for a pair of Low-Impact Board Shorts: “We work every day to build the best products while causing no unnecessary harm. Our latest take on the surf trunk, a board short made from recycled plastic bottles, serves as an example of the durable and free-moving Minimalist board shorts, made from PCR (post-consumer recycled) polyester. To date, Patagonia has kept 98 million plastic bottles from entering the wastestream by making products out of PCR polyester.”

That's not to say that Patagonia doesn't provide details and benefits. The description for the Shroomed Logo T-Shirt: “Geoff McFetridge art on soft-wearing ringspun organic cotton, with taped shoulder seams and our updated fit, featuring a pulled-in silhouette, lower collar, and shorter sleeves. Imported.”

One judge appreciated the company's heavy focus on the all-important target customer: the surfer. “They do it in such a dramatic way that it separates itself,” the judge said.

Why it didn't win a Gold Award
With such an emphasis on large, dramatic surfing shots, less space was available for products, something not lost on the judges. “Needs better detail,” said one judge. Another judge labeled the front and back covers “dysfunctional.” And in the last quarter of the the Surf catalog, most of the female models are pictured only from the neck down, a creative technique that didn't sit well with at least one judge. “I have a thing about decapitated models,” the panelist said.
— JT

Designer: Annette Scheid
Photo editor: Tim Davis
Product photography: Jim Arneson
Photography art director: Billie Jan Houston
Managing copy editor: Alyssa Firmin
Production manager: Lisa Sander
Creative director: Chris Malloy
Marketing director: Rob BonDurant
Merchandisers: Kevin Churchill, Carrie Randolph
Director of direct mail: Morlee Griswold
Circulation manager: Ken Storey
Database provider: Abacus
Printer: Arandell Corp.
Separator: Schawk
Paper broker: Strategic Paper Group
Cover paper: 100 lb., grade #1, Monadock Astrolite PC100, 100% post-consumer waste
Text paper: 45 lb., grade #4, Stora Enso Polaris press, 40% post-consumer waste
Trim size: 10-7/8" × 8-1/2"
Number of pages: 44

Sporting Goods

SILVER: PRINT CHANNEL

L.L. Bean | Hunting, Fall 2006
On the hunt for hunting products? Everything you could possibly need is likely to be within the 92 pages of L.L. Bean's fall hunting catalog. Judges applauded this iconic brand's ability to cover all the bases in this book, from product photography to exceptional copy to solid merchandising to stellar marketing. “If you hunt, you will buy from this catalog,” said one judge.

Why it won a Silver Award
This comprehensive catalog includes a perfect product offering for the hunter; the only thing it it doesn't seem to carry is guns. “Wide selection of everything except guns,” said another panelist. “How to shop on page 2 is nicely done.”

Products include boots, parkas, vests, backpacks, a variety of Gore-Tex outerwear, down jackets, hats, gloves, rainwear, camouflage apparel, binoculars, and rifle scopes. “Great merchandise, solid creative, and branding,” said one judge.

And panelists touted the catalog copy as well. “Excellent execution,” one judge said, while another added: “Time tested.” Still, one more compliment: “Copy is best in the business. Hard to give any negatives because the brand is so strong.” As an example, the copy for the Summit Viper SS Climbing Stand begins: “SilentGlide cable technology is virtually silent and attaches quickly and easily to a tree. Simply slide the rubber-coated cable into the frame and climb. Use the wraparound padded bar as a gun rest or position the seat high and use for stability while drawing a bow. Easy-to-apply Summit Skin, a sound-dampening laminate, is included to make the stand more quiet when you're packing into the woods …”

Why it didn't win a Gold Award
The front cover art, an illustration of two deer leaping over a stone wall in the woods, “seems a bit delicate compared to the product,” one judge said. The overal design needs some work: “The spreads have a randomness to the position of the copy blocks, said one judge. “It seems like a grid isn't established.”
— JT

Senior vice president, creative: Don Oakes
Designer/photo director: Leslie Wagner
Creative directors: Jim Hauptman, Marcia Minter
Marketing director: Steve Fuller
Print/production director: Jason Kendeigh
Merchandiser: Wendy Keith-Hardy
Copywriter: Debra Carr-Brox
Printer: Quebecor World
Color separator/prepress: Vertis
Cover paper: 60 lb., Verso Velocity, #3 freesheet
Text paper: 38 lb., Verso Advocate, #5 groundwood
Trim size: 8" × 10"
Number of pages: 92