High definition plasma screens, uniting Eddie Bauer's Web presence with their retail store marketing tactics, will be unveiled on Friday, November 24, in major markets including: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul and St. Louis.

The screens enable Eddie Bauer to customize window imagery according to season, time of day, and geographic location.

For the 2000 holiday season, Eddie Bauer is partnering with Viewpoint Corporation, a subsidiary of MetaCreations Corporation (Nasdaq: MCRE) -- and a leading provider of super-rich 3-D Web technology to provide the 3-D imagery featured on the screens as well as online at eddiebauer.com.

Both Viewpoint animations and text descriptions of the products will appear via the screens featuring various gadgets by Eddie Bauer and highlighting their new "Try It Before You Buy It" holiday shopping campaign.

Shoppers are encouraged to visit eddiebauer.com to view and interact directly with the 3-D technology.

"We are thrilled to help Eddie Bauer convey their online initiatives within the real-world stores," said Bob Rice, CEO and president of Viewpoint.

"It is imperative for customers to understand that shopping online can be just as rewarding and fun as actually going to the store. Having a leader in both online and offline retailing like Eddie Bauer back that up by using our technology is the ultimate testimonial."

"In this day and age, customers expect a unique and exciting experience from both in-store and online shopping," said Michael Boyd, director of customer relationship management for Eddie Bauer. "But more importantly, the introduction of these screens represents the first major step toward full integration across multiple channels -- and ultimately helps us serve our customers better."

Michael Boyd partnered with Professor Raymond Burke at the Center for Retailing at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, to develop the plasma screen concept. They have been testing the idea in the Eddie Bauer store located in Bloomington, Indiana since the spring of 2000. The overwhelming customer response provided the impetus to expand the program to ten additional Eddie Bauer stores in time for the holiday season. "Our research indicates that consumers are enthusiastic about innovations that integrate the online and in-store shopping experience," said Professor Burke. "The plasma displays bring the power of real-time marketing into the retail store, while at the same time communicating the benefits of 3-D online shopping."