Advertising as an Experience - Victoria's Secret

Everyone knows how certain brands dominate the market - Coke and Pepsi, Fuji and Kodak, Cannon and Nikon...  We talked about Brand Loyalty when I was in school - things that you will only buy in one specific brand because you feel it is the best.  But a lot of this is centered not around the advertising, but the development of the brand as an experience.  I learned this when I worked at Ann Taylor for a short time - repeat customers were loyal because we were trained in the experience of the brand - outfitting the customer, being aware of different shapes, etc.  You aren't buying the clothes as much as paying for the experience of buying the clothes, and that makes you loyal.

Yesterday I discovered another brand experience - Victoria's Secret.  Most people are aware that they do fittings, but has anyone else heard of a "bra box"?  For the customer that is new to the brand, they keep a box of bra's in the fitting room, categorized by size.  Each size box has one of each of their most popular bra to try on, so that you can determine what works for you best without rooting around the store for one of each.  To ad to the overall experience is the care they take in their promotions and ephemera items - for example heavy duty shopping bags, and purchases wrapped in tissue.  And their boxes are by far the easiest to put together...  Overall, they are a thorough and well thought out brand that thrives on providing the experience to the customer in ingenious, but effective ways...