Opening Lines

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me. — Daphne du Maurier, “Rebecca”

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. — George Orwell, “1984”

My mother was a virgin, trust me… — Kate Atkinson, “Emotionally Weird”

This is the story of Achilles’ rage. — Homer, “The Iliad”

The best opening lines, the ones that get you hooked in just a few words, tease through the promise of romance (“Rebecca”) taunt with the exotically impossible (“1984,” “Emotionally Weird”) or assure that you’re about to go on a exhilarating ride (“The Iliad”).

Why shouldn’t catalogers be inspired to do the same thing with their covers? There’s no one who doesn’t agree that most catalog covers look and read woefully alike. Where are the zinger openers?

Many of us appear to be relying on that old standby, promotion. One example: Ballard Designs, with another paint-by-the-numbers room-scene cover featuring tiny multiple size/style type stating, “Our exclusive Chaumont console only $799” and the less-than-compelling command, “Decorate with style.”

Topdeq at least goes for the unbelievable with “Free art chair.” (Actually, as it turns out, totally unbelievable, as Free-Art, with a hyphen, is the name of the chair, not its sale position. Just a tad misleading.)

Most everybody else uses the effective but typically boring, hardly distinctive, margin-killing savings approach. Petsmart promotes free shipping. Walter Drake, WinterSilks and Cuddledown all offer a version of “See inside for savings.” At least Get Organized makes the savings personal with “10% off everything for Katie Muldoon.” And The Company Store ties the offer specifically to its product line, plus inspires rapid action with “Hurry! Last time feather and down prices will be this low.”

Then we have “Don’t pay now,” an area that’s getting crowded as more and more catalogers offer extended payment. “Don’t pay until,” “Take out a (name brand) credit card and get 0% for three months,” “Order now, pay later.” Where’s the personal, teasing, romantic appeal of this approach? Can’t we tie the “pay later” theme to the product line and say something exciting and relevant like, “Run the heck out of our new running shoes before your first payment is even due”? Or, “You’ll love these running shoes so much you’ll be ordering a second pair before you send your first payment.”

One cataloger that gets it right is FootSmart. Its headline, “Why are our models wearing these shoes?” may not be as tantalizing as one might wish, but at least it asks a question that gets you into the book. And once there, you can — due to an easy-to-digest layout — immediately understand why everyone might want these shoes (“patented energy core,” “unbelievable cushioning,” all that good stuff).

What about just saying there are new goodies inside? We have long advocated announcing that this issue contains a lot of products that the reader hasn’t seen, right? Yes — but no. A few decades ago simply saying something like “1,097 new items” might have done it. Now that virtually every catalog mailed says the same thing, the line’s lost more than a bit of its impact.

Sure, you want to say “new” — but do it with impact. Petals announces, “Our original design team is back!” I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing but it sounds like it’s good and perception is everything. Travel-Smith makes two themes complement and enhance each other: “Introducing our new spring shoe collection” and “Art you can wear.”

Once you get them reading the first few lines, you have to hold them. How many books have you started to read in a bookstore and left on the shelf because the prose didn’t continue to compel? Back up your cover smarts with a smashing intro.

Patagonia, long known for its breathtaking photography and clean, crisp layouts, is more than just a pretty face. Pages 2 and 3 of a recent edition elegantly and concisely lay out “New in this catalog,” “Products in this catalog,” “Environmental essay,” “Field reports,” “Ways to shop,” the guarantee, and icons (such as hemp) variously illustrating product contents or UV protection.

This divinely organized info faces one of Patagonia’s famous, awesome shots. A photo, by the way, that doesn’t rely just on its beauty to make a point but carries the significant headline, “Committed to the core.” In one spellbinding spread, Patagonia reminds you of what makes it different, why this particular issue is in your hands, lists what you’ll discover inside and gives positioning-reinforcing editorial references. Brilliant.

Some new folks on the block also have the right idea. If you think there are no new ways to create an alluring pictorial opening line, dump that thought. Both PBteen and Urban Outfitters are after the youth market and the catalog designs are as full of life as those they target. Neat and tidy isn’t exactly the term you would use to describe PBteen, as it jumps with life, telling a colorful story of style for teens and twenties.

Urban Outfitters uses deep and funky rules around many of the products plus tons of graphic elements plopped right on top of photos, thus effectively and enticingly breaking a layout rule — “Don’t distract from the product” — that works terrifically for this audience. Best of all, no two pages look anything alike, so the flipping keeps on happening.

Right. It’s hard to be so creative when you’re turning out book after book. But trust me, your creative staff is dying to try some new stuff. Make sure their ideas fit with your positioning and the rest of the big picture, then let them show some creative muscle. It just might be the wake-up call your customers and prospects need.

KATIE MULDOON ([email protected]) is president of DM/catalog consulting firm Muldoon & Baer Inc., Tequesta, FL.