Walmart - Carol of the Bells

One of the things that bothers me the most about the holiday season is the advertising blitz that engulfs you the minute Thanksgiving rolls around the corner. Right after we spend a day being "thankful," we immediately get pestered into going on a spending spree, gleefully awaiting reciprocal presents from our friends and family. Like clockwork, the same old holiday songs takeover the airwaves, festive lights are dangerously hung, and your favorite TV shows are on hold. This holiday commercialization rant is not new, and I think The Simpsons "Trash of the Titans" episode sums it up the best.

However, just because it's the holidays doesn't mean you can get away with annoying, meaningless commercials. The one that got to me this holiday season was Walmart's "Carol of the Bells" advertisement (embedded from whereschristmas), take a look: 



Now this seemingly innocuous video might seem harmless at first, but after watching it a few times I realized its true nonsensical nature (the tune itself starts driving you crazy after the first few times). No advertisement is even being made, the only claim of the commercial is that more checkout lanes are going to be available. No sales, no new products, just more lines to choose from when checking out. What a pitch, that's really going to convince me to shop at Walmart! Bottom line, this commercial wouldn't fly during any other time of the year.

Examine the ad a little closer and more nonsense is revealed. To get the full effect, try watching the ad with the sound muted. The entire premise of the employees turning their cash registers on and off synchronously might seem fun, but think about the customers. Going back and forth, to and fro from register to register; the customers are being treated like ping pong balls. Then again, maybe that's why there are no customers to be found in the commercial. The entire store looks rather frigid, more like a sterile hospital than a place to buy gifts for family. But the employees don't seem to mind, they seem rather content to flick a light switch all day and not find a customer in sight. It seems almost routine: employees enter like drones, mechanically push buttons all day, and get a simultaneous feeling of relief after a job well done. Maybe this ad does give an honest depiction of Walmart, a retail machine.

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