A little tune that puts a smile on your face…
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Okay, so we’ve all seen this one before. But now that it’s Christmas time and this ad is running again, I just wanted to point how responsible I thought the ad was– especially considering who the company is. Walmart is there to sell things. Period. They are not there to make money any other way–they are incapable of doing so. So how in the world should they advertise without being obnoxiously invasive when trying to coerce a member of their target audience into buying something at one of their locations while trying to prove that they have the lowest prices?
Well, in this commercial, I believe they accomplish this task. Yes, it is obvious they are still trying to tell consumers that they are there for Christmas present-buying (what else would they be there for) but they are doing it in a responsible manner. Although we hate to admit it, Christmas songs put us in the holiday spirit even when we hear the songs playing when it is still 80 degrees outside (this past weekend). So, in order to reach their audience in that way, Walmart incorporated a recognizable song into what could have been mundane advertising. Whether the consumer consciously recognizes this or unconsciously is put in the spirit through seeing the ad, they will be left with a smile on their face.
2 Comments
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:33 am
This commercial made me smile, and put me in the Christmas spirit now that it is finally getting cold in Dallas, Texas!
I love how it captures the Christmas spirit in its simplicity. The employees smile as they play with the lights, almost like excited children on Christmas Day (reinforcing the ad’s tone and message). Its simplicity negates the negative connotation with advertising as a purely manipulative force. Provided, there is a reason why Walmart wants to “make your Christmas shopping easier,” but then again, aren’t we shopping to give gifts generously to others? And shopping at Walmart, where there are “unbeatable prices,” may enable us to find a way we can afford to give those Christmas gifts.
I also noticed that Walmart did a great job at subtly showing different ethnicities in the ad, such as (from what I can tell) African American, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Caucasian employees. This is another way Walmart has illustrated their social responsible behavior, as we have learned in our other classes that ethnic minorities are underrepresented in today’s advertising.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Rennie, you said this commercial is on once again. However, the first time I’ve seen the commercial is this season and I absolutely love it! It is a great way to put consumers into the holiday mood, and it specifically brings a smile to my face because Carol of the Bells is my favorite Christmas song!
Sofia makes a great comment that Wal-Mart is informing consumers that they have “unbeatable prices” where people can afford the Christmas gifts for their loved ones. Moreover, Wal-Mart’s prices enable people to go above and beyond and truly give generously. I also agree that a wide range of ethnic diversity is portrayed within the commercial. This is reflective of both Wal-Mart employees and Wal-Mart customers (and we know how diverse Wal-Mart customers are from the “People of Wal-Mart” emails going around).
This ad does a great job of enticing people to shop at Wal-Mart through visual and hearing perception. Consumers are able to hear one of their favorite Christmas tunes and see the Wal-Mart lane lights spark to life with each click of a bell. It creates a sense of affective involvement and that “warm fuzzy” feeling for the holidays. This feeling can positively be correlated with Wal-Mart through this ad. Not only this, but the ad places Wal-Mart into consumers’ consideration set for holiday shopping and portrays how much the little things matter like having fun on the job lighting up the lanes in tune with a Christmas carol. I love this ad! While I’m not sure if I will be shopping for Christmas gifts in Wal-Mart in particular, I will definitely do other shopping there because of my positive image of the store and its values!