Giving to Get Back...
They came with tables... They came with blankets... They came in droves... This was the scene you could find last Friday at Old Orchard mall in Skokie, Illinois. And no - these are not Springsteen fans waiting in line to buy concert tix - these people are patiently waiting (some even pulling an all nighter in the chill of the midwestern winter) in the hopes of scoring L.L. Bean gift cards being given away as part of the grand opening celebration of the retailer's newest store. The Motivation of Money While Volkswagen is hoping to lure consumers into showrooms with a strangely clever ad campaign , L.L. Bean is using one of the oldest promotions in the book - handing out money just for showing up. In a time when economic news seems woefully bleak, the appeal of L.L. Bean gift cards was enormous, with a large crowd of people lining up for the opportunity to draw a card worth anywhere from $25 - $500. According to Greg Elder, L.L. Bean vice presi...