GOLD: Print Channel
Harry & David, Holiday Book of Gifts 2008
Holiday is huge for Harry & David, so the food gifts mailer always puts its best foot forward for the big gift-giving season. Ad this Gold-Award winner exemplifies Harry & David’s mastery of the holiday catalog presentation.
WHY IT WON A GOLD AWARD: “The elegant cover conveys holiday,” said one panelist. The mouth-watering cover photo of a juicy Royal Riviera pear — propped with holly leaves and two twinkling glasses of champagne — sets the tone for this catalog.
As one judge summarized: “Excellent photography, copy and design combined with a broad offering of gift products.” The book also boasts plenty of new baskets and gift combinations, and several nice personalization touches.
Copy is stellar as well: “I love the editorial blurbs throughout, which support the brand and help sell the merchandise,” said one member of the panel.
IDEA TO STEAL: When times are tough, don’t be afraid to stress your value proposition. For instance, Harry & David calls attention to new, lower prices for shipping and handling on the order form. — JT
Director: Neal Schuler
Designers: Kelly Barton, David Holman, Tucker Whitson
Creative director: Michelle Jovanovic
Marketing director: Melissa Watson
Print/production director: Lisa Chang
Copywriter: Marcus Smith
Photographers/illustrators: Ron Anderson, Brian Prechtel, Jim Bowie
Printer: R.R. Donnelley
Color separator/prepress provider: Schawk-Seattle
List broker: American List Counsel
Next Page: Fairytale Brownies
SILVER: Print Channel
Fairytale Brownies, Winter 2008
You don’t have to be a big company or have a huge product line to be a star on the food catalog circuit. Fairytale Brownies proves this with a stellar Silver winner.
WHY IT WON A SILVER AWARD: Judges praised this catalog for its beautiful photos, clear copy and organized merchandising. “This catalog does an excellent job of making the product look irresistible,” according to one judge. “It also sports an unconditional guarantee, which is very important with gifts.”
Another panelist said the merchandise concept makes this book special. “The richness of the product is what keeps the reader interested. The tips are brand enhancing, and the holiday ordering schedule is helpful, particularly this time of year.”
For example, on page 9 a tip reads: “Looking for more Hannukah gifts? Our newly designed Hannukah gift band can be added to any classic brown or purple gift box for just $3.95.”
WHY IT DIDN’T WIN A GOLD AWARD: Some judges deemed the boxy design and black and purple tones “a little distracting,” and the front cover shot was a bit muted “and does not give the delicious impact that the same items found on page 3 do,” said one panelist. — JT
Director: David Kravetz
Designer/creative director/print/production director: Erin Kress
Marketing director: Kari Gayes
Copywriters: Daniel Bartel, Kari Gayes
Photographer/illustrator: Rick Gayle
Food stylist: Kim Kreja
Printer/color separator/prepress provider: Arandell Corp.
List broker: Lake Group Media
Consultant: J. Schmid & Associates
Next Page: Kingarthurflour.com
SILVER: Web Channel
Kingarthurflour.com
Although it was established in 1790, King Arthur Flour shows that an old-line brand can rise to the challenges of today’s online world. A merger of its Bakerscatalog.com e-commerce site into Kingarthurflour.com and a coinciding redesign resulted in a huge increase in page views, unique visitors, registrations and revenue.
WHY IT WON A SILVER AWARD: Right from the home page, King Arthur Flour entices customers to want to bake. The page is “beautifully executed and branded, and appealing to the customer through color, imagery and copy,” said one judge.
King Arthur Flour further strengthened its brand through its online community by sharing recipes and showcasing products. The copy is descriptive, noted one panelist, “and written from the voice of someone who loves to bake. This voice carries through selling and non-selling copy.”
WHY IT DIDN’T WIN A GOLD AWARD: The site’s SEO was touch-and-go. King Arthur Flour ranked high when searching for recipes, community and blogs, but not for its product selection. — TP
Creative director: Janet Matz
Marketing director: Halley Silver
Webmaster: Joe Caron
Website designer: Jim Taylor
Search engine marketing: PM Digital
Merchandiser: Tracy Taylor
Copywriter: P.J. Hamel
Photographer/illustrator: John Sherman