Bean Takes On Competitors

Martin/Williams continues efforts to set L.L. Bean apart from its rivals by stressing the retailer’s longevity and family ownership in a new television spot tied to the company’s 90th year.

“Competitors have come and gone,” says a voiceover after the Freeport, Maine, company’s 90th anniversary is noted. “But none have matched L.L. Bean’s commitment to quality.”

“It really presents consumers with a choice,” said John Karlson, senior vice president of strategic development at the Minneapolis agency. “Bean has a different way of dealing with customers, over the long term as opposed to the short term.”

The spot, which breaks Sept.