J.CREW bring back the catalogue
The new demand for old physical media is strong.
Years ago we had a retail client in Australia who swore by the astonishing success of their annual printed catalogue.
Sought after by customers and responsible for driving a significant portion of their festive trade (not to mention the additional top line revenue generated by the selling of premium position loading for selected supplier brands) the catalogue was their most impactful promotional tool...by a mile.
Now the Internet is abuzz with the return - after a 7-year absence - of the legendary J.CREW printed catalogue (or 'catalog' if you must) available in-store only and featuring Gen X poster child Demi Moore.
Glancing back whilst looking towards the future
Strategically J.CREW owned the concepts of a beautifully photographed / beautifully printed iconic catalogue that marked the start of the new season of style in North America.
But their decision to rekindle the embers of the catalogue, after a long break, were also enabled by some interesting insights from the market.
As vintage styles have become more and more apparent among today's younger generations, a demand for physical media—especially that belonging to the '90s and early aughts—has emerged, prompting the use of decades-old catalogs, like the iconic J.Crew creations from those pioneering years, as style inspiration.
Print is a big strategic move
Print done right is everything that fast-media isn't. Print done well costs a lot of money; appearance fees for Demi Moore, expensive fashion photography fees, sets, styling, props, location fees, crew fees, insurance, paper stock, logistics etc etc.
But it's in the expensive of it all that the critical difference accumulates value. How many other clothing and apparel brands are going to this kind of trouble to reach their customers? Not many.
Now that all of the historical rot in traditional publishing is starting head into bankruptcy (rot brought about by cutting costs and not innovating) there is plenty of opportunity in media if that opportunity is properly framed.
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Caroline Cubbin
Grace Waichler