Industrial Supplies

GOLD: Print Channel

New Pig, The Big Pigalog 2010 Buying Guide

When it comes to leak and spill management, industrial safety and plant maintenance, New Pig’s Big Pigalog rises to the top. It sells the right stuff to clean up every slippery mess in the workplace — no matter how stubborn.

WHY IT WON A GOLD AWARD: “This catalog is an absolute category killer when it comes to merchandise,” said one panelist. A color-coded index makes browsing this catalog easy and fun, especially with several appearances from New Pig’s cartoon mascot, Sparky the Pig. A perfect mix of helpful pictures, tables, callout informational boxes and customer testimonials spices up all of the products.

And no matter how mundane your product line, no matter how utilitarian, “you have to sell, and you have to sell hard,” another judge said. “This catalog does an excellent job of selling on every item on every page.”

IDEA TO STEAL: Make sure your copywriter is an expert on your product line and customer. New Pig’s copywriter clearly has empathy for the problems the user is trying to solve, said one judge. “That copywriter must spend lots of time in the warehouse.” — JT

Industrial Supplies

GOLD: Print Channel

New Pig Corp., The Big Pigalog Buying Guide 2009

Starting from the cover of this high-scoring catalog, it’s clear that New Pig is on a roll. This little piggy drives a Harley and he’s packing pigs (the absorbent sock kind), mats, rags, skimmers and just about anything else you can think of to clean up an industrial spill; and he’s got safety supplies as well.

WHY IT WON A GOLD AWARD: The cataloger uses all the organization techniques for a large business-to-business mailer, said one judge, including an index, table of contents, color-coded sections and more. “Lots of great ‘in use’ product shots show how items are utilized, conveying immediately to the customer what they need,” the judge noted.

The selling copy is quite strong, said a panelist. “Good use of benefit headlines, product premise statements, and callouts” using its cartoon pig mascot, Sparky. Indeed, said another panelist, “New Pig has never been shy about shouting the benefits and spelling it out clearly.”

IDEA TO STEAL: You can have a fun front cover that also works hard. New Pig’s includes a foldout panel to promote institutional info to help customers shop. — MD

Directors: Doug Hershey, Nino Vella

Creative director: Beth Love

Product director: Dan Silver

Project manager: Lonna Frye

Creative team: New Pig Creative

Photographer: McManus Studios

Printer: Quad Graphics

Next Page: Edmund Optics, Optics and Optical Instruments

SILVER: Print Channel

Edmund Optics, Optics and Optical Instruments Catalog, Fall 2008

Edmund Optics boasts the world’s largest inventory of optical components. And it manages to keep the catalog presentation of this highly focused product line both clear and compelling.

WHY IT WON A SILVER AWARD: The catalog’s impressive assortment of merchandise is one reason. “The selection seems deep and broad,” said one judge.

The copy, which starts with the functional benefit of the product, is also a high point. “The voice speaks with authority and uses technical vocabulary that’s appropriate for the market,” noted a panelist.

In all Edmund does a superb job of keeping a lot of highly detailed information clear, clean and concise, though the personality “is a little dry.”

WHY IT DIDN’T WIN A GOLD AWARD: The judges were divided on the effectiveness of the dark front cover with images of floating prisms. But they agreed that the use of the model — a woman who appears to be serving up some psychedelic-looking filters, did not work. In a word, said one judge, “the model shot is hideous.” — MD

Director/print/production: Gretchen Morris

Designer: Dawn Kozarski

Creative team: Nicole Koenitzer, Joe Skodinski, Joori Song

Marketing director: Marisa Edmund

Photographer/illustrator: Gary Mattie Studios

Printer: Dingley Press

List broker: MeritDirect