Catalogs

We’re working on a catalog.

It’s targeted to an older audience (65+) so there is a demand for a printed catalog. That’s because this generation has been using catalogs the longest. They were in their 50’s when eCommerce took off.
Once this generation passes on, the printed catalog, as we know it, will pass on with them, going the way of the typewriter and the newspaper.
I’ll say “goodbye” to catalogs with a “thank you” for the money I’ve made on catalog marketing over the years and a “Good riddance” for the insane amount of printed catalogs I get at home that I have absolutely no interest in getting.

Even our older population is moving to the web.
Research tells me that 50% of 65 year olds use the WWW on a consistent basis and that figure is growing by 20% a year. In addition, research tells us that a lot of this generation are sending emails to their family and seeking information on their health and retirement.

One of the problems I run into when we are working on a catalog or website that will have a lot of older people reading it is the type size. There’s usually a 24 year old digital artist with 20/20 eyesight designing the work and I can see that the type is too small.

“Jimmy, I think that type face is a little too small,” I say.
“No it’s not,” he says.
“Older people will have a problem reading it,” I say.
“I can read it,” he says.
“You’re 24,” I say.
“Can you read it?” he asks.
“Not very easily,” I respond.
“I guess that makes you one of those older people,” he says with a sad look.
“Just make the type bigger!” I holler as I walk away.

When our client was considering giving us the creative on their new catalog, they asked me if I had any catalog experience. “Yes,” I said, “I’ve done around a million different catalogs over the years.” Maybe a slight exaggeration, but close enough.

It brought back memories of my first catalog assignment.
When I started out, I had a little art studio. A printing company I did some work with had a catalog they were in a rush to get out. I got a phone call from the owner of the printing company who said, “Jon, if you can turn the copy and art around in three days, I’ll give you the job.” I needed the work more than I needed the sleep, so I took the job.
There were three of us in the studio and we worked for 24 hours non-stop before we realized that there was no way we were going to have that job done in two more days. And by two more days I mean 48 hours, no sleep.
So I called my friend, the nurse. “Hey Peggy, how’s it going? Do you have any more of those little white pills that kept us all awake at your party last month? You do! Great!”

48 hours later three strung-out artists had the catalog done and delivered.

There was an interesting thing about those little white pills; after the second 24 hours you started to hear a little beep inside your head every two or three minutes. It sounded just like your microwave after the timer goes off and you don’t open the door. Which in a way, is exactly what your brain is saying to you.
“Beep. Hello, your brain has been micro-waved and is now ready. Beep-beep”

Jon