The 25th Annual MCM Awards

La Tienda, The Best of Spain, Holiday 2009

The marketing concept and merchandising niche of La Tienda are clear from the get-go: The catalog sells, as its tagline declares on the front cover, "the best of Spain" — Spanish food and cookery items. What's more, it establishes La Tienda as a source of information about Spanish cuisine and products.

WHY IT WON A SILVER AWARD: The merchandising — of hams, cheeses, olives, oils, beans, pitchers, pans, wineskins — garnered unanimous praise for the breadth of items and price points. "This appears to be a wonderful representation of popular food across Spain, along with a selection of utensils with which to prepare or serve it," summed up one judge. "For those who love Spain's cuisine, it's irresistible."

Not content to cater exclusively to those who already love Spanish food, however, La Tienda uses its product descriptions and editorial sidebars — about the curing of sausages, the differences between Spanish and South American tortillas, and the different types of ham, among other subjects — to try to win over converts. — SC

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