Apparel companies often have a difficult time trying to define who they are. Occasionally, the stars align and they get product and image perfectly aligned with the prevailing zeitgeist. It's almost 15 years since Eddie Bauer's flannel shirts were one of the staples of the grunge movement and the brand has been searching for its center ever since.
Instead of stretching to find for the perfect emotional branding concept for the Holidays, Bauer's gone with the simple idea of down, the fabric, not the emotional state. While many brands have sought winter refuge in the product idea of cashmere, Bauer goes for goose feathers. The brand is even creating a pop-up store dedicated to down in New York's Rockefeller Center.
It's a good move by Bauer, it provides a clear center for the brand, stresses the warmth of its winter line and reflects a simple brand truth; Bauer has been making down clothing since 1936.
Sometimes, there is an endless quest for a brilliant emotional platform that takes too long to create and once created ends up as contrived. What Eddie Bauer looses in nuance and finesse, they make up for with a smart, honest and uncomplicated choice.
