Within a period of two days, both Sephora and Nordstrom offered what appear to me to be extremely compelling free gifts with purchase. Which is the better campaign? I made a purchase from Sephora. They created a click-through landing page listing exactly what was in the free gift bag. Nordstrom's offer might have been better, but they didn't list exactly what the croc box included. Better safe than sorry!

On an unrelated note, I'm interested in Nordstrom's use of "(Details Inside)" in their Subject Line. Thoughts? Also, is it me, or does Sephora's Subject Line not make any sense?

From: Sephora
Subject Line: 11 Free Deluxe Sample Beauty Jackpot
Date: Sunday, October 15, 2006

From: NORDSTROM.com
Subject Line: Fall Beauty Gift with Purchase | Free Shipping Offer (Details Inside)
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Posted by lfharmon at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: Victoria's Secret
Subject Line: Choose a Free Gift with Sweater Purchase. Plus Free Shipping & Handling on U.S. ...
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Every time I receive an email from Victoria's Secret, it looks like this! I don't think I've ever received one I could view. This time, I went a step further, and clicked on the "If you are unable to see the images in this email, please click here" link. And...it didn't work! It went here. Zero for two! That's pretty bad, man.

Posted by lfharmon at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: Sephora Beauty Editors
Subject Line: Plane-Friendly Beauty: Bring It On Board
Date: Sunday, October 8, 2006

Sephora keeps things relevant by addressing carry-on restriction changes with "Flight-Friendly Beauty."

Posted by lfharmon at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In what has felt like an increasingly slick and sanitized culture, it's refreshing to see "authentic" trends surfacing in fashion and media, from a recently-renewed national interest in sewing to homemade videos on YouTube. These Urban Outfitters EDMs for Free People and their namesake brand actually feel like they were drawn by human beings. I especially love the bird in boots.

From: UrbanOutfitters.com
Subject Line: No Second Chances. Free Shipping On Boots Ends Sunday!
Date: Friday, September 29, 2006

From: FreePeople.com
Subject Line: Tights for Day and Night...Alright!
Date: Friday, October 6, 2006

Posted by lfharmon at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Join us for a store fall preview
Date: Thursday, September 7, 2006

From: Lacoste
Subject Line: Friends and Family
Date: Monday, October 2, 2006


As online traffic increases and brick-and-mortar retail store visits dwindle, retailers in home furnishings and apparel are leveraging online marketing to drive in-store sales. Here, Crate and Barrel and Lacoste try two different approaches: an in-store event, and a print-out coupon.

I am fascinated by the growing interplay between the virtual and "real" worlds of commerce. Just last week I saw an actual "I Bought it On EBay" retail location on Long Island, a la "The 40 Year-Old Virgin," and recently learned about the thriving marketplace of Second Life. "Residents of one of the Internet's most populous virtual worlds shop, attend class—even run businesses. Soon you may do the same." Read the story in Popular Science.

Posted by lfharmon at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)