In
the United States, the glamorous and luxury products - jewellery,
perfumes, watches etc - those always shown with a very stylish and
elegant couple accompanying the advertisements which, a couple of years
ago, would die first, before permitting the lowliness of putting in
their publicity announcements with a discount coupon attached. Now they
do.
These coupons, reserved in the past for people with modest income, that each time they buy a bottle of softener or bleach, would cut out the coupon on the label which permitted them to save 10 or 20 cents for the next purchase of the same product. Now, some luxury products have coupons too, for the more relevant discount of course, of $5 or $20, or the same thing more or less, 5% or even 10% promised.
These coupons, reserved in the past for people with modest income, that each time they buy a bottle of softener or bleach, would cut out the coupon on the label which permitted them to save 10 or 20 cents for the next purchase of the same product. Now, some luxury products have coupons too, for the more relevant discount of course, of $5 or $20, or the same thing more or less, 5% or even 10% promised.
Stephen Clifford and Stuart Elliott published in The New York Times a report, about the change of orientation of the crises imposed on the advertisers. The interesting title was 'Good bye seduction; hello discount coupon'. This is rather revealing as it permits us to see what is happening there, and compare with any differences, if any, existing here in Spain, or elsewhere. Discount coupons are one thing, another is the location chosen for photographing or filming these publicity advertisements. It had been for eternity a tradition to use as background magnificent mansions, castles, opulent or exotic locations; now middle class apartments and modest homes.
The experts explained that it's aimed to let the consumers know, that the announced products are not just for the rich and the privileged (mansions and outsized dining salons suggest so) That these goodies are within everybody's means; nothing is beyond reach. In the recent months there must be in all advertising agencies, spectacular feasts of brains, specialized in psychology, working overtime dealing with the challenge to come up with sure, but invisible, traps for consumers. Here the psychology plays perhaps the most enticing part, to make the consumer feel he has come up a couple of steps in the social scale, not the usual envious neighbour.
No small task. It must be easier to write 10 fictional stories passably entertaining, sufficiently good to deceive a not too inquisitive critic, than to write one efficient and sure fire advertisement to deceive thousands of not too critical consumers.
Tags:consumer,advertisement
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