exten- sive television advertising, online fashion shows and information, television appearances for the supermodels, stylish in-store signage and high-impact visuals, and dramatic catalog layouts, all coordi- nated to consummate in-store and online sales. A few years ago, in a bold move, the intimate images of the Victo- rias Secret catalog leapt from its pages to the small screen, where the supermodels appeared in television ads featuring skin, an occasional hint of satin and lace, and more skin. A throaty female voice with a British accent spoke over the soft music, inviting one and all to the Victorias Secret bra and panty sale. Most would say the ads rocked; they surely have come a long way since Jane Russell modeled the 18-hour bra outside her sweater. In a slight advertising twist, the 2003 ads used the Bob Dylan tune "Love Sick" from his 1997 album Time Out of Mind, proving that classic rock musicians have even invaded the lingerie business. An unusually strong tentacle of the Victorias Secret brand is Vic- torias Secret Direct-its web site is the premier example of a retail firm adding e-commerce to its multichannel arsenal for reaching and serving customers. VictoriasSecret.com allows browsers to see the models in action, create a wish list, view runway shows, and, of course, buy the products. While Bloomingdales and other retailers are retreating from their disappointing e-commerce ventures, Vic- torias Secret grows with an achievement few can match-profitabil- ity from the start. Even though Victorias Secrets online venture performs head-and-shoulders above other retail sites, its stores still generate a majority of corporate sales and profits. Its analogous to album releases for the Rolling Stones and Neil Diamond: Albums generate awareness and some profits, but their primary role is to generate buzz and support concerts-the real money-makers. Total customer experience drives the Victorias Secret retail for- mula. Not only does management want the store atmosphere to make people feel welcome, comfortable, and eager; it wants the clothing to make women feel sexy, desirable, and good about them- selves. Nowhere is Victorias Secrets brand better executed than at its new, two-story flagship store in New York Citys Herald Square, a     25,000-square-foot stage of sexy images of silky lingerie and enticing colors, luscious fragrances and scents, and romantic music that courts fans and titillates media. As with Madonna and Neil Diamond, Victorias Secrets brand is as much about how it makes others feel about themselves as it is about itself. Fans leave a Diamond concert uplifted and thrilled with what theyve experienced. Getting this reaction from customers shopping for something that could make even the most macho of men blush is not always easy. This is painfully evident around Valentines Day (the firms second-biggest holiday), when gaggles of men enter Victorias Secret stores wearing a collective deer-in-the-headlights look of panic. Thats when the associates enter the theatres stage. At that moment the brand experience rests completely in their hands. How they interact with customers is guided by Limited Brands Diamond-like values of honesty, integrity, openness, respect, fairness, and inclusion. The abil- ity of associates to exude passion for the product, make customers feel