L.L. Bean Hires New Consultant To Find New Agency

Man, it’s deja vu all over again.
From Adweek:

L.L. Bean has placed creative chores on its ad account into review, a company representative confirmed.
Consulting firm Select Resources International, Santa Monica, Calif., will help conduct the search for the Maine-based retailer, sources said.

Our friend Dean Gemmell at BlackLabFive, relating a conversation he had with the previous consultants, had some interesting things to say a few years ago about why a iconic brand like L.L. Bean would possibly need an ad agency.

If L.L. Bean motors through two above average agencies, would it not be wise for a review consultant to suggest a different approach? The agency model is quite effective for many marketers, but old L.L. may not be among them. I’m quite sure their marketing department could handle working with several shops on different projects to reach their many different — hikers, skiers, canoeists, suburban Moms who go for walks — demographic groups. What’s more, they’re a catalog company that sends me a big, multi-page ad called the L.L. Bean catalog at least once a month. Will another series of ads from another ad agency be the solution? Sweet Nadira even mentioned that an invited agency would need direct mail capabilities. Please, lead me to the agency that will show America’s venerable catalog retailer how to do direct mail.