PCs Compleat combines the selection and convenience of a superstore with the pricing of a direct marketer, plus exceptional service and support. They came to Passaic Parc with quite a challenge: to achieve a double-digit increase in orders.

Our strategy: first, position PCs Compleat as the value leader. This not only addresses the target consumer's top priority, it also lets us present the company's unique combination of superstore and direct channel as support. Second, develop a powerful image to portray their uniqueness. Thus we created the arresting "telephone-as-superstore" imagery.

The multi-page ad appeared in several magazines, including "PC Magazine," "Computer Shopper," and "PC/Computing," with a total circulation of over two million. The campaign increased sales "off the pages" by over 55%. And just three months after the ads broke, PCs Compleat's overall sales had risen nearly 100%. Oh, and the ad won a first prize at the annual New England Direct Marketing Association awards.