ON SALE!
Right after Christmas is the time of the year when he the term “on sale” has real meaning. The decorative candles you bought before the holiday are actually to be had at one-half the price you paid before. at the very same store where to shopped before. Smart shoppers, if they have funds left, can really do will this week-after in preparing for next year's Christmas buying spree.
And don't feel too sorry for the over-stocked store owner, either. Rest assured he still made a profit on the item, though smaller than before.
Sales haunt the lives of millions of men and women all year long and some are real while others are merchandising mirages.
In the many years I wrote advertising copy for radio I remember one furniture company which had a set policy of running a different sale - by name - each and every week of the year. Sometimes they overlapped, but it made no real difference and price went along pretty much on the same level through them all. Now and then they would throw in a new one - some quirk with words or a news event of the moment – and that eased the monotony.
There are very few husbands extant today, I dare say, who have not - at one time or another - heard their wives proclaim they bought an item “because it was on sale”. Husbands have long ago tried to reason with such money-saving enthusiasm by saying that every thing in the store was “on sale”. That's how the store owner made a business of it . He bought items a one price and put them “on sale” at another. Simply as that. Most husbands have learned, quickly, not to try that sensible argument a second time. It never works. Never has. Never will.
I also remember one used-car dealer who like to do his own commercials on the air and he could create sales items almost magically. I've watched him do it. He was the relaxed in his use of the English language. Among other things about the language he had never accepted was the spoken letter ”x”. It was a “s” to him regardless of it's shape and size. He presented “specials” and mid-way in selling its merits, he realized a particular car had features which made it an exceptional or extra value... so it became and “estra special”. It then became and “estra-estra special” in his rising enthusiasm . People rushed to get the car for fear he would buy it himself and remove from the display! They spoke of getting extra value and he had a few “estra” dollars he could call his own. It had very little to do with price or product or values and so many year-round sales thrive on that quality - of being in touch with the fad, folklore or slang usage of the day. People can do strange things in moments of wild enthusiasm . Can. And do.
The worst week of the year of for advertising copywriters is that lonely period between Christmas and New Year. For that span of twixt-and- tween times - clients/advertisers/accounts don't know what they want to advertise and salesmen - pardon me..” Account Executives” - think of the week as paid vacation time. Copy instructions for the week often consisted of short notes on the copy information form saying: “'Work up something cute for them this week!”,or: “Pull some old, general stuff from their files” , or “Make something up.” and many were content to keep saying Happy Holiday and Happy New Year again and again.
All except the furniture store and the car dealer. The one discovered Santa had erred and over-ordered love seats and sofas and had left his excess stock at one of their warehouses with instructions to “give it away”, if necessary. The car dealer had an “estra” special offer ready for ice and snow time!
Oddly enough, both of those firms are still in business and doing well.
A.L.M. January 3, 2003 [c679wds]
