What Makes an Award Winning Catalog? Neal Schuler, senior vice president for Harry & David, took attendees inside the food gifts mailer’s bag of tricks during his May 4 ACCM presentation. The company focuses on scarcity, difference, establishing high value, and storytelling.
Here are Harry & David’s basic rules of design:
- Make it easy to shop. Copy connects to product.
- Make the copy easy to read.
- Place key messaging prominently.
- Position contact information consistently.
- Pop product off the page.
- Design with eye-flow in mind. Leverage “hot spots” on the spread.
- Provide a visual resting place.
- Pace the spread designs to create interest.
- Hygiene: Build style sheets for consistency.
- Use an agreeable color palette.
- Build templates and grids for consistent spacing.
Harry & David’s cover strategy involves brand-right imagery; visual interest; whimsy; “yum factor”; timing relevancy; no more than two marketing messages; and identifying product.
People do not work so well on Harry & David’s covers: A test conducted in 2005 showed that when the catalog featured a person on the cover holding a tower of boxed food, results diminished. “Apparently, our customers don’t want to see themselves with a tower over their head,” Schuler said.