2008 Holiday Advertisement Trend

bassrique · #1 11-30-2008, 02:58 PM

I don't watch much TV other than football, but I have plainly noticed a trend with these new holiday commercials. It's almost like they were produced by the same people.

Radio Shack, Walmart, BestBuy, Two car manufacturers, and a couple of others are using the a slick version of the testimonial approach. Some good looking person stands in front of a "green screen" and talks about how wonderful it is to give and get during the holiday season. Memories, dreams and life changing events all around. A very touchy-feely way to get at one's wallet, no?

Beaucoup money and thought must have gone into this, and I wionder many things:

-Why is this a good angle when people are very concerned about the economy?

-Did the ad agencies come up with this approach independently? [Perhaps not, because that's a small world.]

-I had another good question/observation or two, but I'm trying to watch football, so screw it.

hbarcat · #2 11-30-2008, 03:05 PM

"Nostalgia" is the gimmick for advertising this year. Consumers are going to be VERY tight with money this Christmas and the most efficient way to get people to forget about their budgets is to help them remember the warm and fuzzy feeling of past Christmases.

Selling and marketing is a well established science with millions of industry professionals fine tuning the practice of convincing consumers to part with their money. The psychology used in advertising trends is carefully crafted and produced and it definitely works.

bassrique · #3 11-30-2008, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbarcat

"Nostalgia" is the gimmick for advertising this year. Consumers are going to be VERY tight with money this Christmas and the most efficient way to get people to forget about their budgets is to help them remember the warm and fuzzy feeling of past Christmases.

I guess that makes good sense, but I'm getting really fed up with this sentimental BS fairly quickly. Could there be a backlash from consumers that get the idea they are being played? Fine line there.

iamlowsound · #4 11-30-2008, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassrique

I guess that makes good sense, but I'm getting really fed up with this sentimental BS fairly quickly. Could there be a backlash from consumers that get the idea they are being played? Fine line there.

That will never happen, there are always the stupid people that will buy whatever they are told to.

lowsound

MysticMichael · #5 11-30-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassrique

Could there be a backlash from consumers that get the idea they are being played?

One would hope. On the other hand, consumers have gotten "played" by advertisers ever since advertising came into being. And that fact doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon.

We'll know if there's been a backlash as soon as the trend begins to change - if it is a trend, and if/when it does change. Because one of the few constants of the industry is...they don't continue with what no longer works. And they do continue with what does continue to work...

MM

bassrique · #6 11-30-2008, 05:54 PM

I just saw it again. A local ATV/Motorcycle company just pulled this angle.

Araillac · #7 11-30-2008, 05:58 PM

i'd type about this here cause im extremely against consumerism but id have to much to say. if you wanted to have a conversation with me about it, it'd turn into a rant with me yelling even though youre right beside me while i fire point after point, repeat some of the things i said 5 times and then when im done you say either you agree with me or youre like yeah thats pretty much what i think cause you probably wont agree with everything i say. but if you say you dont agree, ill be like why not? and then ill say the same rant over again just using different words.

hbarcat · #8 11-30-2008, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassrique

I guess that makes good sense, but I'm getting really fed up with this sentimental BS fairly quickly. Could there be a backlash from consumers that get the idea they are being played? Fine line there.

This stuff is thoroughly tested for public reaction well before you see it on TV. If the test audiences are in any way skeptical (in fact if they aren't completely eating the stuff up) then they go back to the drawing board until they find something that works.

bassrique · #9 11-30-2008, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbarcat

This stuff is thoroughly tested for public reaction well before you see it on TV. If the test audiences are in any way skeptical (in fact if they aren't completely eating the stuff up) then they go back to the drawing board until they find something that works.

I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if they put the "peasants under glass" in battleground states?

Capitalism sucks, but there is no better alternative it seems. Am I wasting my energy on cynicism?