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Freeport, ME, April 11, 2017
L.L.Bean Names The VIA Agency AOR
Leading outdoor retailer selects Portland-based ad shop to further advance iconic brand
Portland, ME - March 29, 2017 – Today L.L.Bean, the internationally recognized outdoor retailer, announced that it has appointed The VIA Agency, a full-service creative agency as its new Agency of Record (AOR). VIA was selected through a highly competitive review process that included numerous agencies based around the country.
L.L.Bean has been working with VIA for the past year on a comprehensive branding project. Through this work, the brands realized a synergy and aligned on a common strategic vision. L.L.Bean was impressed with VIA’s understanding of the brand, its connection to the business and highly creative approach.
“Since the publishing of our very first catalog, letting consumers know what L.L.Bean is all about has been almost as important as the products we make,” said Chris McDonough, Senior Vice President, and Chief Brand Officer at L.L.Bean. “We need a partner who not only possesses creative and strategic talent, but one who intimately understands what the L.L.Bean brand stands for. VIA meets that high standard.”
VIA’s work on the account is scheduled to begin immediately, and the first campaign to roll out is planned for this summer.
“L.L.Bean is an iconic brand, and we’re privileged to work with this great company,” said Leeann Leahy, CEO of VIA. “Few brands have such a rich history, and the opportunity to build on their incredible foundation is as humbling as it is exciting. We’re proud to have a part in defining the next chapter of the L.L.Bean legacy.”
VIA has recently won a series of new accounts, including Asurion, T. Rowe Price and CertainTeed. Its existing client base also includes Three Olives, Unilever and TD Ameritrade.
About L.L.Bean, Inc.
L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. Still family owned, Shawn Gorman, great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013. While its business has grown over the years, L.L.Bean continues to uphold the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. In the past five years, L.L.Bean has donated over $6 million toward conservation and land stewardship. L.L.Bean operates 34 stores in 16 states across the United States, along with 25 stores in Japan. The 220,000-sq. ft. L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.
About The VIA Agency
The VIA Agency is an employee-owned, full-service creative agency that’s dedicated to helping its clients grow their businesses through creativity. Located in Portland, Maine, VIA has helped some of the world’s most recognizable brands and innovative enterprises – such as Unilever, Perdue Farms, and Facebook – create groundbreaking campaigns that reflect their own unique corporate styles. VIA also fundamentally believes in using creativity to drive cultural change and has dedicated its services to numerous humanitarian organizations, including Greenpeace and the United Nations. VIA was named one of Ad Age’s 2016 Best Places to Work and Ad Age’s 2011 Small Agency of the Year. www.theviaagency.com