Holiday Ads Are Not Always Jolly

 Hi! Happy Thanksgiving week to all who celebrate. 


With the holiday season rapidly approaching, we are seeing an influx of new seasonal advertisements. This falls perfectly in line with my discussion topic of the week, which surrounds producing appropriate advertisements.

The rise of the digital age and technology has led to advertisements taking every possible angle. We see them all over social media, web browsers, street signs, sporting events, and more. Advertisements have taken over in digital and traditional forms, flooding our everyday lives. Advertisers like to produce content relevant to the location of consumers and the time of year. Especially during the holiday season, advertisers do their best to ensure that their brands incorporate getting people in the holiday spirit. The holidays promote ideas of family and friends togetherness, childhood nostalgia, and enjoying good food. It seems obvious that advertisers would use this to their advantage and produce ads that have a similar effect on people.

If we have no choice but to constantly see ads, they might as well be interesting and funny. By the beginning of January, the sound of Jingle Bells in a commercial usually causes people pain. Not literally, but as we all know, it will be very overdone. Nobody wants to see advertisements that all look the same for about three straight months. Not only is it repetitive, but the brands begin to run together. How will anyone remember which brands to associate with which advertisements, if they all involve an extremely romanticized version of Santa sliding down the chimney and dropping the item off? Not to mention, Jingle Bells is playing in the background. Of course, almost everyone wants to get into the holiday spirit. But remember- everyone has the same idea…which is why it is important for advertisers to think outside the box. 

To produce an idea that nobody else is doing, advertisers have to get creative. What can they incorporate into their ad that will catch people’s attention? What will instill warm holiday feelings into consumers? The opportunities are truly endless, however, should be executed carefully. Holiday ads are not always perceived as jolly and fun. Many companies have faced heavy criticism in the past for producing ads that may have had a funny idea but landed terribly. In today’s cancel culture, many companies cannot afford to have a public relations crisis that could lead to a bad reputation or brand demolition. Content can be twisted and misunderstood so easily that a well-thought-out advertisement is crucial to a brand's success.

In this week's class readings, I had the opportunity to look at some marketing fails that left the public offended and confused (Pogue, 2019). Some of the advertisements were obviously insensitive to current events, such as the one portraying Kendall Jenner stopping social justice protests by sharing a Pepsi. Obviously, that was done in poor taste. On the other hand, some advertisements took me really diving in to understand what was so offensive about it. An example of this was the 2002 Starbucks ad that seemed harmless, but after analysis, can definitely be understood as poking fun at the 9/11 tragedy. The way some ads appeared to be more innocent and unintentional than others proved to me that anything can be taken the wrong way. Had Starbucks produced its advertisement years before or after 9/11, the two may not have ever been compared. However, because of Starbucks’ terrible timing, it was heavily criticized.  

I enjoyed analyzing the advertisements that failed for various offensive reasons. It got me thinking about all of the holiday advertisements we see during this time of year, and how careful companies must be. Because the holidays are a time of joyfulness, good spirits, and multiple religious events (for those who follow religious practices), producing an offensive advertisement could go very wrong. I decided to do my own research and see what brands have experienced this before and why. 

Peloton Bicycle Ad

In 2019, Peloton, a high-end exercise equipment brand, produced a commercial that was considered sexist and inconsiderate of women’s body image (Ortiz, 2019). The commercial showed a man gifting his wife a Peloton bike for Christmas and she was clearly surprised by it. The woman already appeared to be thin and in shape, and the commercial went on to show her riding the bike daily. People were offended by this ad, saying that the husband was insinuating that his wife needed to work out more and that she was not fine just the way she was. After the release of this ad, Peloton’s stock actually fell a significant amount, making it clear that the public was not impressed by the company.

PayPal Ad

In 2015, PayPal, a popular online payment service, produced an ad that was criticized for ruining Santa Claus for children (Sweney, 2015). In the commercial, parents are seen using PayPal as a way to purchase Christmas gifts. Come Christmas, there were lots of presents under the tree. While the purpose of the ad was to promote using PayPal during the holiday season, it suggested that Santa Claus was not the one bringing the gifts. Rather, it showed parents being responsible for the gifts. People complained that PayPal ruined the magic of Santa Claus for their children. 

While I understand the reasons behind the ill feelings towards both of these advertisements, I was not personally offended. This goes to show that just because you think something may be funny or widely understood, does not mean everyone will feel the same way. A common issue people had with the Peloton commercial was that the wife was already visually good-looking and thin. It makes me wonder what kind of back-lash Peloton could have received if they chose to star a female who did not appear as thin or in shape as the woman in the commercial. I feel like that may have brought on just as much if not more criticism because it would insinuate a negative body image. One thing Peloton could have done differently to prevent the commercial landing this way was to not make the woman seem so surprised to be receiving her Peloton. Instead, she could have been seen adding a Peloton to her Christmas list and then using it to train for a vigorous bike race in the future. This way, the advertisement would have been clear that it was promoting the bike, and not a different body image.

Clearly, designing and executing the perfect advertisement is not an easy task. It should take a lot of thinking, opinions, and research before being produced. Even if something seems lighthearted and unintentional, it can always be taken the wrong way. The bad media that can stem from offensive advertisements can be detrimental to brands.

On a happier note, enjoy your yummy Thanksgiving meal! 

Let me know if you have any questions. 

Maiya Sokol






References

Ortiz, A. (2019, December 4). Peloton ad is criticized as sexist and dystopian. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/business/peloton-bike-ad-stock.html

Pogue, S. (2022, February 18). 12 bad ads and marketing failures to learn what not to do. Workzone. https://www.workzone.com/blog/bad-ads/

Sweney, M. (2015, November 3). PayPal Christmas ad gets hundreds of complaints it implies Santa isn’t real. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/03/paypal-christmas-ad-gets-hundreds-of-complaints-for-implying-santa-isnt-real



Comments

  1. Brieanna WilliamsNovember 26, 2023 at 7:35 AM

    Happy Thanksgiving week to you too! I really enjoyed reading your perspective on the challenges and nuances of creating appropriate advertisements, especially during the holiday season. You bring up a crucial point about the saturation of holiday-themed ads and the need for advertisers to think outside the box to avoid monotony. It's true; the same jingles and romanticized Santa scenarios can become overwhelming, making it difficult for brands to stand out. Your call for creativity and uniqueness in holiday advertising is spot on.

    Your analysis of marketing fails, particularly the examples of the Peloton Bicycle and PayPal ads, is insightful. The Peloton ad, in particular, sparked significant controversy. It's fascinating how advertisements can be interpreted in various ways, and the impact on a brand's reputation can be substantial. Your suggestion for Peloton to approach the ad differently by showcasing a more diverse portrayal is a thoughtful consideration, highlighting the importance of sensitivity and inclusivity in advertising.

    The example of the PayPal ad impacting the perception of Santa Claus for children is a reminder of the potential unintended consequences of advertisements. It emphasizes the need for advertisers to be mindful of the broader cultural and emotional implications of their messaging.

    Your observation that what may seem funny or widely understood to one person might not be perceived the same way by others is crucial. The subjective nature of humor and interpretation makes the task of crafting universally appealing advertisements even more challenging.

    Overall, your exploration of the potential pitfalls in advertising, especially during the holiday season, provides valuable insights for both professionals in the field and consumers. It's a reminder that advertisers must tread carefully to avoid unintended consequences and negative public reactions.

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and the examples you provided. Hope you had a delightful Thanksgiving meal as well!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chante StephensNovember 28, 2023 at 5:57 PM

    Maiya,

    Long before, we used to only see these ads on TV or hear them on the radio. Now, with mobile devices glued to our faces, the nuances of digital advertising are never-ending. I had no idea about the fuss over the Peloton ad until I looked it up on YouTube. I watched the original ad, then saw the actress talking about it on the Today show. And she made another appearance in the Aviation American Gin commercial. They made references to the Peloton commercial ensuring, a cocktail is more suitable and this is a safe space to void any flack. Your writing made me see how challenging it is for advertisers and writers to be creative without stepping on toes. It's really interesting to see how people react to these ads and how important it is for advertisers to be careful and understand what different people might think.

    Away goes reality -- in comes and stays perception.

    Best,
    Chante

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

About Me

Image
 Hi! My name is Maiya Sokol and I am excited to welcome you to my blog. I am working on my Master's of Strategic Communication degree through Troy University. Currently, I am enrolled in COM6610: Leadership & Media Strategies. Every week for the next nine weeks, I will be delving into a series of readings relating to the course. These readings will focus on principles of strategic communications and emerging media. In this blog, I will be posting my own analysis, takeaways, and further understandings of the readings. I am excited for this opportunity to share my thoughts and knowledge on the weekly topics. As well as sharing my understanding, I will be connecting concepts to real life experiences and examples. In May of 2023, I received my undergraduate degree at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts with a minor in promotions. I loved my time at Troy University, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. During my fo...
Read more

A Look into Crisis Communication

  ​​Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family.  This week, I will be piggybacking off last week’s conversation about creating an appropriate holiday-centered advertisement. As we know from last week, finding yourself in a PR crisis is much easier than you would think. In fact, it happens pretty often. Now, I will be focusing on what happens after a PR crisis. How do you stop it? Well, you can’t. Once a PR crisis begins, “it is like trying to herd kittens” (Talkwalker, 2023). In other words, it is nearly impossible. While a PR crisis may be inevitable, there are many ways to address and mitigate it. It is crucial that PR strategists and business executives understand how to lessen the damage that could be done by a PR crisis. There are many situations that can lead to a PR crisis within an organization. When I think of a PR crisis, I immediately think of a situation in which an employee has done a careless act while proudly wearing their...
Read more

Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Hi! Welcome back to my blog. This week, I will be diving into the concept of word-of-mouth marketing. Word-of-mouth marketing is the feedback that consumers share with one another about a good or service. This can happen intentionally or completely by accident. Any time a consumer is talking about their experience with a brand or company, they are doing marketing for that brand. They are sharing their (hopefully) positive experience with others, and by doing so, spreading positive awareness about the brand. Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the strongest and most effective marketing tactics. When people see and hear other people’s positive experiences with a product, they are more likely to trust the product. I was positively impacted by word-of-mouth marketing when Chick-fil-A released their Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich. Chick-fil-A’s advertisements and commercials made the sandwich look great, but I was not sure that it was something I needed to try. I am confident in my tra...
Read more