Zappos: More Than Just Shoes

Need a new head-to-toe look? Zappos.com hopes a new TV campaign will drive consumers to the online retailer's Web site for more than just its shoes.

The advertising, from The Ad Store in New York, showcases the range of clothing and accessories that can be found on the site. Spots star men and women who step into Zappos' boxes in their underwear to emerge fully clothed once they lift those boxes over their heads.

Two 30-second and six 15-second spots encourage consumers to "Put a little Zappos in your day!" The theme originated last year in a TV spot, where a cheery, back-flipping mailman brightens people's days with the delivery of their Zappos purchases.

"Last year the campaign was all about the box," said Paul Capelli, founder of The Ad Store. "This year we are talking about the fact that Zappos is about more than shoes and we use the box as the springboard" to show that Zappos has "all this other stuff that brings happiness to your life." (Click here to read a Q&A with Zappos' CEO.)

The new ads continue the celebratory theme with a similar graphic treatment that also highlights the brand's core values such as "create fun and a little weirdness" and "be adventurous, creative and open-minded."

The campaign is designed to not only feature Zappos' products and represent the joyful experience of shopping on the site but the company culture as well. "The performance, the graphics and the music are a good representation of the culture and what goes on there on a daily basis," said Brian Flatow, president of the agency and creative director on Zappos.

While Zappos has built its brand predominately through word of mouth, the Henderson, Nev.-based company has used TV advertising in the last couple of years to grow its customer base. "These guys are the epitome of Web 2.0. They certainly grew to where they are through superior customer service and the word of mouth that has generated," added Capelli. "The last couple of years they've looked to generate trial and find ways to expose this cool culture and experience to a larger group of people."

Zappos spent about $13 million on ads last year, down from more than $20 million in 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
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