New L.L. Bean Signature Collection Targets Younger Audience

The 98-year old L.L. Bean label is one of those New England legends that are increasingly rare in the branding world. As independent as its Maine roots, the company is firmly entrenched in tradition. It has distinguished itself by offering an ironclad lifetime guarantee from the very beginning on its apparel and outdoor equipment. That's because founder Leon Leonwood Bean always stood behind the products he sold from his Freeport, Maine store. Today L.L. Bean's corporate headquarters are just down the road.

One thing L.L. Bean has not been known for, however, is innovative fashion. Its clothing line typically appeals to the Bean customer, average age 50, who's more interested in long-lasting utilitarian comfort than trendy styles. Which is why it is noteworthy that the company has just launched a new brand targeting a younger audience – the L.L. Bean Signature Collection. It is very likely a strategic move to seek out a new avenue for growth in challenging times.

To design the Signature Collection, Bean tapped Alex Carleton, who worked for Polo Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch. But interestingly, Carleton also worked for Bean for awhile before starting his own Maine-based business, Rogues Gallery, in 2003. Now Carleton has returned to revitalize the Bean line. Carleton says the Signature Collection has "a unique methodology of juxtaposing L.L. Bean's history... with modern design ideas."

Relying on the considerable L.L. Bean archive is one thing – but the challenge is, as Carleton says, "putting new twists on vintage ideas." That may have been one reason L.L. Bean accepted an unusual proposition from a student at nearby Bates College. Freshman Charlie Carey approached the company and asked if he could help promote the Signature Collection on the Bates campus. L.L. Bean, recognizing the value of buzz marketing, said yes, and now Carey has recruited friends at Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, and the University of Vermont to pitch the line as well. Carey and friends even created an online forum, "Bean in the wiL.L.d," to get consumer input, which they'll pass along to the company. It may be just the kind of informal promotion that L.L. Bean will need to break through.

L.L. Bean has created a website for the Signature Collection, and the company is planning to open separate shops to support the brand. Clearly, L.L. Bean is putting substantial resources into making the Signature Collection a success in the marketplace.