Black Friday - Served On A Sunday

Black Friday – the most wonderful time of the year. The time for retailers to get out of the red, and back into profit. For ad agencies to come out swinging. For brands to peddle their wares in the homes and on the screens of delirious-for-the-deal, bargain-brained buyers everywhere. This ad came across my browser a few days after I was shopping for a jacket on their website. What this ad fails to realize is that while I was shopping, I bought the jacket. Once more for the people in the back, I already. Bought. The. Jacket. The ad encourages me to purchase a fast-selling product before they’re all gone. But lo! I am he to whom the very product is fast-selling. The irony is strong with this one, master.

I have no qualms with the ad itself. The products are clear and easy to see (if a bit small), and the branding is visible but not intrusive. It’s straight to the point; nothing too flashy. And besides displaying the coat I already bought (we’ve been over this, I know), there are definitely relevant suggestions for other coats I might have considered. Seeing “Price Drop” 5 times and “Hot” once on a coat facing a different direction is a bit much, but overall it’s clean and gets the job done.

I love the brand, I love the coat, but 5 price-drops and a ‘Hot’ quarter-turn-to-the-right later, and I’m not convinced. With the technology available today, I feel like it’s the advertiser’s duty to display not only targeted product ads, but targeted product ads that are contextually and temporally relevant. 

Here in Raincity (aka Vancouver, Canada), the weather can turn faster than you can say “Triple venti half sweet non-fat caramel macchiato”. In other words, timing is everything. So for an ad to look great, but serve late – unfortunately this jacket just won’t hack it.

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