22nd ANNUAL MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT AWARDS

Consumer Apparel

GOLD: PRINT CHANNEL

L.L. Bean | Christmas 2006
Here's the ultimate compliment for a consumer cataloger's holiday edition: “This book is heir apparent to the Sears Wish Book, and it does a good job in that respect,” said one judge about L.L. Bean's Christmas 2006 edition. Plenty of merchandise, displayed well. Wonderful design and production. Robust emphasis on customer service and helpfulness. Splendid guarantee,” the same judge raved.

Why it won a Gold Award
Navigation is a term more commonly associated with Websites, but it's an important component of print catalogs, too. L.L. Bean understands this: “Fabulous navigation makes this book easy to use and really several books in one,” said one judge.

Another panelist agreed: “They created good pacing through interesting layouts, while also keeping a sense of organization under the category sections.”

Photography “shows great detail and texture,” noted one panelist. For example, a photo of a stack of folded corduroy sport shirts is so crisp you can practically feel the warmth and softness of the prewashed cotton fabric. The creative is complemented by “outstanding copy that is both pragmatic and inspirational,” said a judge. For instance, the headline for a spread selling sleeping bags invited customers to “Give the Gift of Outdoor Fun to the Whole Family.”

L.L. Bean displays its dominance as a holiday mailer. “Their big Christmas catalog is set apart from their smaller catalogs, not just in size, but in presentation,” said a panelist. “Also, they set the bar for great tools and messaging to make the customer feel comfortable and confident in spending their holiday budget with L.L. Bean.”

Idea to steal
Most catalog customers expect to see the president's letter or some sort of institutional copy on the opening spread. L.L. Bean's Christmas catalog includes a handwritten letter from a customer on page 3 that thanks the merchant “for so many years of customer satisfaction, for maintaining your high standards and realistic price tags.”— MD

Senior vice president, creative: Don Oakes
Designer: Erica Eysenbach
Creative director: Marcia Minter
Marketing director: Nancy Dynan Fischman
Print/production director: Jason Kendeigh
Merchandiser: Amy Steenstra
Copywriter: Leslie Gomes
Editorial manager: Jenna Klein Jonnson
Printer: Quebecor World
Cover paper: 80 lb., Verso Influence, #3 freesheet
Text paper: 38 lb., Verso Advocate, #5 groundwood
Trim size: 7-7/8" × 8-15/16"
Number of pages: 280

SILVER: PRINT CHANNEL

L.L. Bean | Clothing for Women, Holiday 2006
Baby, it's cold outside, but L.L. Bean has what you need to stay warm. That's the message effectively conveyed on the cover of the merchant's Clothing for Women, Holiday 2006 edition. And if the cover photo of a woman wearing the company's washable, faux shearling zip-front jacket against a snowy alpine backdrop isn't enough of a hint, the tagline “Find over 20 warm coats to bundle up in” makes it crystal clear what's inside the book.

Why it won a Silver Award
“This catalog has all the clothing and accessories a woman would need for the cold weather,” said one judge. “The targeted concept of cold weather essentials is executed very well.” L.L. Bean uses the opening spread to consisely convey the key service messages and its very strong guarantee, noted a panelist. Also, “They use many opportunities to promote the Website and other services throughout the catalog,” the judge said.

And with the vast product selection, customers are spoiled for choice. For instance, L.L. Bean's boot-cut jeans come in six different washes, a panelist pointed out; a basic pima cotton shirt is offered in 14 different colors.

“The book is well-designed, with superior production values and first-rate photography,” said a judge. The catalog makes good use of callouts to show it has more selection online or that certain products have matching pieces. For example, a page selling Bean's Swift River Sweaters has a small box at the bottom promoting matching T-shirts with the item number and the Website address.

Not every judge loved the catalog's copy, but most agreed that headlines such as “The softest, warmest fleece you'll find at an outstanding price” were terrific. “Throughout the catalog, there is great use of the headlines to present spreads, and captions for more selection online, order by number online, and for the L.L. Bean gift card,” said one panelist.

Why it didn't win a Gold Award
The product density is “weak,” according to one judge, “and the pagination doesn't vary much.” The panelist noted that “The first accessory doesn't appear until page 24. Seems like a missed opportunity to cross-sell.” And although the copy consistently included features and benefits, “it doesn't have much pizzazz,” a judge remarked. “The paragraphs get formulaic at a point.”— MD

Senior vice president, creative: Don Oakes
Designer: Erica Eysenbach
Creative directors: Jim Hauptman, Marcia Minter
Marketing director: Nancy Dynan Fischman
Print/production director: Jason Kendeigh
Merchandiser: Becky Egers, Deb Baade
Copywriter: Karen Rose, Kate Boak
Photographer/illustrator: Macomber Studio
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

GOLD: WEB CHANNEL

The Orvis Co. | www.orvis.com
The Orvis Co.'s Website is as good as Gold. Not only did the outdoor sporting gear, apparel, and home decor merchant land the Gold Award in the Consumer Apparel and Sporting Goods categories, it took the Silver in the Consumer Specialty Products and Gifts categories as well.

Why it won a Gold Award
What's so great about Orvis.com? Where do we start… Okay, we'll start at the beginning: “Excellent home page,” praised one judge. “Clear, multiple calls to action are evident, and the home page truly draws the shopper in with a variety of offers.” The overall design of the home page, added another panelist, “allows for a lot of information without a lot of clutter.”

Orvis.com also demonstrates excellence in merchandising on all fronts, with depth of product serving a diverse customer base. “Navigational icons for alternate product views, and sizing charts are clear and simple,” said one panelist. “Product page features multiple special offers in the form of credit card deals and ‘bill me later' offers. Live chat is available right from the home product page.” Added another judge: “Great use of cross-selling or out-of-stock substitutes, with next-best-seller capability.”

Copy is also a strong suit for Orvis.com. “Sentences are loaded with good information that is clear, to the point, and benefit-oriented,” said one judge. “I also found the naming of the categories within the navigation to be quite clear and easy to understand.”

Also, a panelist pointed out that “the pages are well titled, and they use a decent amount of search-engine-friendly keywords in the copy.”

Another member of the judging panel was wowed by Orvis's functionality. “The dynamic display of personalized products is impressive and certainly helps conversions.”

Idea to steal
Try letting your customers do the talking. The addition of “recommendations,” or customer reviews, “puts Orvis at the top of its category,” said one judge. “More companies should take the plunge and allow product reviews on their site.”— MD

Creative director: Jason Tors
Marketing director: Brad Wolansky
Website designer: John Stalcup
Merchandiser: Patrick Livingston, Dawn Fisher
Copywriter: Kimberly Bellamy, Tim Bronson, Lucinda Heuschkel, Eric Rickstad