In 2011, L.L.Bean hired Melcher Media to create the centerpiece of its 100th anniversary celebration, a book that would foster an even deeper relationship between the brand and its customers.

We leveraged L.L.Bean’s devoted fanbase, asking them to contribute inspiring tales and images. We also engaged a leading outdoor journalist to help us create the inspiring narrative at the heart of the book—the tale of how Bean, with $400 in borrowed capital, invented the shoe that remade the outdoor industry. We developed dozens of complementary stories, several of which required us to coordinate original photo shoots, including a fun one in which we dressed up and photographed current L.L.Bean employees in historic clothing from various decades. Our team delved deep into the L.L.Bean archives, uncovering all sorts of material: Bean hunting in Maine in the 1910s; early mailers and catalogs; snapshots of ordinary Americans outfitted in L.L.Bean gear; and scores of other photographs, illustrations, and pieces of ephemera. The final touch was the book’s stunning canvas cover—an homage to Bean’s classic Boat and Tote bag.

Available at Amazon.