Herschell Gordon Lewis’s Best and Worst Catalog Copy of 2015

Worst, No. 1: Northstyle.com

An example of the problem generic to the world wide web in general: the merchant may forsake control of image. What is intended as an almost nonstop string of endorsements on Facebook becomes an almost nonstop string of accusations because it’s on Facebook. Our lovely tree-lined boulevard becomes a junk-filled alley.

Northstyle’s to-the-point copy is professional but uninspired. In the printed catalog we accept the description for a woman’s shirt which begins, “Two different eyelet patterns make an eye-catching mix.” Or how about the first sentence of a description of a “Southwest Lapis & Sterling Ring”: “A striking design that showcases a bold lapis stone.” Skimming through the printed catalog, a visitor doesn’t even blink. Online, the vultures leap onto this kind of wording.

NEXT PAGE: Worst, No. 2…