While watching TV this weekend I saw a TV spot that reference a sale they were having over the MLK weekend. But they cleverly made reference to the holiday but never went so far as to call it a "MLK SALE." The company that did it is irrelevant in this instance, although I'm sure somebody or two raised out of their lazy-boy this weekend to pitch a cross side-eye at the 50 inch flat-screen.
Some companies like KMart jumped in with both barrels blazing and offered up this lovely marketing assault below.
That's right a sale! A full blown online sale... Is it wrong? Is it just in poor taste? Why is it different from President's Day Sales?
MLK sales have been growing in prominence for years and we've seen it only get tackier. I think it's about as tacky as a Gandhi White sale or a Mother Teresa buy one get one free promo personally. But it is really so wrong in scope of American capitalism? Is there a place commerce shouldn't go to promote itself?
https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
5 comments:
Intriguing post, Craig. I think you hit the crux of the matter with this question:
'Why is it different from President's Day Sales?'
How would you answer the above?
Nester
I think they've already gone as far as they can go, to commercialize Christ... so Martin Luther King is no exception.
Nester, I much as I'd like to play holier than thou who hath done these campaigns -- I get it. This is America. We would sell a baby back to it's mother if possible. So I say for those who really care; hold the vision in your hear and/or heart and work from there. Because America is going to sell sh*t and Americans are going to by it. In that regard it is no different than President's day. It's a figurehead or event to attach your retail promotion to and maybe a little historical equity can be borrowed at best.
But MLK the ideal, like Lincoln, Washington, etc. can only be diminished by the people who hold the dream.
No disrespect I think that Martin Luther King was a great man and should be honored. Just stating how commercial things are these days, like Craig said they'll sell a baby back to its mother. You could always take the stance and not participate in these types of sales.
What do you think of this? I think it is kinda bullshit.
http://www.mediabistro.com/agencyspy/chevy-ssk-let-you-speak-the-words-of-mlk_b12815
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