From: J.Crew
Subject Line: Thursday only: 20% off sale
Date: Thursday, March 30, 2006

From: Ann Taylor
Subject Line: Up to 50% Off, plus Special Online Offer
Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2006

What's the difference between creative influence and downright plagiarism? Do you think Ann Taylor's sale message relies too heavily on the treatments used by J.Crew all season? Or is this just a strange coincidence?

While we may think of EDMs as drops-in-the pan, barely noticed and quickly forgotten, I'll have you know, EDM designers, that someone is watching you...

Posted by lfharmon at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: Keds
Subject Line: keds.com: COOL IS BUZZ ON NEW AND CLASSIC STYLES
Date: Thursday, March 23, 2006

Let's face it: Keds haven't been cool since like 1990. Or maybe I only thought they were cool in 1990 since I was - like - 10. Regardless, Keds only recently began a campaign to regain their cool by employing as their face the negligably cool Mishca Barton. This email, featuring the "COOL BUZZ" appears to be a piece of that effort. While I find the creative execution messy and unprofessional (Umm... was this done in PowerPoint!?), the idea behind it is smart and something you just don't see in EDMs. We all know the power of product placement. Why shouldn't Gap, then, add little "Featured in XYZ Magazine" dot-whacks to their product imagery? Or why wouldn't Pottery Barn feature their "Outdoor Furniture, as seen in Real Simple"? Is it legally difficult to get permission to make these mentions, or is it just that no one's thought of it? Except Keds. Necessity is the mother of invention.

Posted by lfharmon at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: holdeverything
Subject Line: 10% off versatile shelving for every room
Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006

From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Modern furnishings from our new Spring Collection
Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Tate is in the air with new collections for holdeverything (launched late January) and Crate and Barrel (launched yesterday.)

A legal concern brought to my attention by a colleague: the Tate Modern is a British art museum. If Crate and Barrel's collection was not created in cooperation with the museum, is it legal to use a "tate modern" headline?

Posted by lfharmon at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)