Random Rant
This is a totally random rant, and is really only me venting.
I have seen the same commercial for Wal-Mart all evening long. It is the one where a mother is the central character talking about how all her daughter wanted for Christmas was an iPod nano. And she found out that Wal-Mart carries iPods. Woohoo! While I take issue with the materialism that runs rampant this time of year, my real beef with this commercial lies in the subtle, misleading tact that Wal-Mart takes. The mother comments on how the price for the iPod nano was so great. This is bordering on false advertising. Apple dictates the prices of iPods. Wal-Mart cannot cut the prices without being hauled into court by Apple. I have issue with Wal-Mart making it seem like they are going to be the best place to buy an iPod this Christmas because of their normally great lower prices.
But you know what really bothers me the most? The embarrassing amount of shoppers who will be blindly be drawn in to make this purchase because they will not take 30 seconds to find out this information for themselves. We Americans are truly lazy. And we will believe far too much of what advertisers will tell us.
I’m done. Please don’t take this as my knock on Wal-Mart as a whole. We do a lot of our shopping there. I just have a problem with their advertising. But I am curious as to what you think, O’ gentle reader?
Well, if you do your research, you can find the iPod Nano direct from Apple’s site for $149.99 and $199.99. And according to WalMart’s site, they sell for $147.88 and $197.88, so TECHNICALLY they’re lower priced. But is $2.11 really enough to make you run to them and get it instead?
true. apple gives a $5+/- price cushion to its distributors. but is that $2 really worth it? certainly not the great savings the commercial gives you the impression of…
While we’re on the topic of WalMart and their commercials, have you seen the one where they promise to have more check-out lines open for the holidays? They make it look like every lane will be open. It will be interesting to compare their commercial with reality.
I think the iPod commercial is part of WM’s ongoing line of ads touting their cheaper products, helping to save American families more money. Whether or not you agree with the ad, the campaign is a sly move on WM’s part from a political angle, since the “anti-WM” crowd likes to scream that WM hurts the average American family. (FWIW, I am a big fan of WM.)
BTW… I checked this out the night you posted, and Circuit City was actually cheaper, by $10. Should note, however, that the CC price was a limited time offer, while WM’s price is an everyday price.
hmmm, very interesting… either apple is getting lax, or circuit city is about to get into some big trouble…
i am also a fan of wallyworld. never bought into the myth of “it drives out smaller businesses.” though I have had some problems with how some local wal-marts have treated their employees…