GALVESTON — Landry’s employees and their families put Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier workers to the test Sunday as they prepare for the official opening.
If you watch TV, you’ve probably seen, or more importantly heard, the JC Penney commercials featuring screaming men and women. They scream loudly and a lot about department store sales promotions.
The commercials have caused a lot of buzz and even generated some complaints to Consumer Affairs to which one person wrote: “This has to be the worst commercial that has ever hit the airwaves. Not only is it annoying, it is dangerous for anyone who has anxiety disorders, or panic attacks. I have heard that this was aired at a hospital waiting room, and emotionally affected those in the waiting room, in an awful way ... ”
(I'll take a self-serving moment here to remind you that this is why newspaper advertising is superior to TV ads. Newspaper advertising won't harm your ears, cause anxiety disorders, panic attacks, boils, twitches or other terrible, unspeakable afflictions.)
As I struggle to get the JC Penney screams out of my head, I have to argue it's an effective commercial. It's a good commercial. It did what commercials are supposed to do, which is get our attention in a very cluttered world where everyone, everywhere wants to sell us something.
So while some consumers are yelling about the screaming, I'm more interested in what the ad is about, which is JC Penney's arguably risky strategy of suspending hundreds of special sales that department stores are so fond of and permanently cutting prices on all merchandise by at least 40 percent. That strategy begins tomorrow.
Former Apple executive Ron Johnson, who was named Penney's CEO in November, is behind Penney's price cut plan. Walmart does it and H-E-B has a similar strategy, promising low prices without loyalty cards.
But will it work for a department store?
"How customers will react to a single price point versus a perceived discount under the old strategy," is the question, Citi Investment Research analyst Deborah L. Weinswig told the Associated Press.
I've blogged before that I'm not much of a sale chaser. I try to only buy something when I'm in the market for it, and then I look for sales and comparison shop.
I know people who live for one-day sales. They weren't really in the market for that shaggy lime-green rug until they saw it was 50 percent off. I'm not judging, though. And I have in the past been a victim. Still hanging in my closet is a weird gray, hooded sweater that was marked down from $80 to $7 that I've never worn.
It's too big and lumpy. I keep thinking I'll "grow into it." I thought it was a steal, but I'm out $7. And some sales are designed to get you in the door in hopes you buy the pricier merchandise.
So, I'm the type of consumer who would find JC Penney's new strategy appealing. What about you? And what do you think of those screaming commercials?
The screaming commercial is anoying. Can certainly understand how a screaming commercial would cause a negative reaction in an emergency room. Or a hospital for that matter.
As for the reason behind the add. Cannot help but wonder what the retail landscape will look like in five to twenty years. Will JCP, Sears, Dillards and Target still be around.
—
By Paul Ruiz (Paul100)
on Jan. 31, 2012 at 8:17 PM
- Review
It's the way Wal*Mart grew. Buy in bulk and price as low as possible "all the time". Customers learned the daily low price was the norm. Loss leader sales elsewhere might beat them but only rarely. Wal*Mart turns a small business into a big company by placing a single order to stock shelves in 3,500 stores. JCP is just the latest to try competing with Wal*Mart.
—
By Gary Miller (IHOG)
on Jan. 31, 2012 at 10:04 PM
- Review
When it comes on, I either mute the tv or change the channel. I love JCP but this commercial has annoyed me to the point that it makes me never want to shop there again! Silly, I know.
—
By Suzanne Sexton (ssexton)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 6:06 AM
- Review
Call me silly as well Suzanne. I am ticked off every time that screaming invades my peaceful home. Like you, I have no desire to support a business whose commercial annoys me.
—
By Paul Ruiz (Paul100)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 8:49 AM
- Review
Reminds me of the "Wazzup" commercials that Bud was running a few years back, where a group of men would call each other and holler endless "Wazzup"s for most of the commercial. It was a hit at the time.
—
By Klaas Tadema (ktadema)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 9:24 AM
- Review
I have always believed commercials are the way business dumbs down the American people. They think they are being funny or clever, when actually they are insulting and crude. And, this new JCP ad is no different. I wish them well in their bid to stay in the market, but this commercial is not the way to do it. Speak to me in a intelligent manner and I will begin to un-mute my television or stop changing channels at their onset.
—
By Wave Function (jac2007)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 10:02 AM
- Review
I liked the commercial The ad might be annoying to some but it achieved it's goal of gaining a lot of attention. Look how many national and local TV media outlets have cover the commercial. Plus the coverage and response from the local paper. They wanted people to start talking about it and they were successful.
—
By Brian Stottlemyer (brianstottlemyer)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 10:09 AM
- Review
As annoying as this commercial is I am not sure it beats the annoying Target Christmas commercial with the lady crying over the target ads.. that one really had me changing the channel - but agian I still shop at Target and this one won't keep me from shopping at JC Penny's - so all in all it worked!
—
By Cynthia Castaneda (Cyndy)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 10:44 AM
- Review
This was probably one of the most annoying commercials of all time, IMO. And, as usual, it was recorded louder than most of the programming it played in, which means it blared when it came on. That is my biggest pet peeve about commercials on TV, the recording levels are higher than the shows.
—
By Charlayne Denney (charlayne)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 11:33 AM
- Review
I may be alone here, but I think this is a very clever commercial......it addresses an issue that frustrates anyone that has ever chased a deal......maybe they're fighting overload with obvious overload.....other things like politics & rigid, intolerant people are what annoy me.
—
By Zen Sailor (zensailor)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 11:36 AM
- Review
"(I'll take a self-serving moment here to remind you that this is why newspaper advertising is superior to TV ads. Newspaper advertising won't harm your ears, cause anxiety disorders, panic attacks, boils, twitches or other terrible, unspeakable afflictions.)" -- Laura Elder
True, but that advertising sticker plastered onto the front page of the GCDN (are they still doing that?) -- talk about "in your face" -- is HIGHLY annoying! And that was one reason I cancelled my subscription.
—
By John Dechon (cloudcroft)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 11:41 AM
- Review
John, Sorry to hear you dropped your subscription. But the simple fact is that advertising covers a very large part of the costs to operate a newspaper. Subscriptions alone don't begin to cover the costs.
—
By Laura Elder (lauraelder)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 11:53 AM
- Review
I thought the commercial was funny, and it built some suspense about what the big change would be. I don't shop there but I applaud their break with "fabulous one-day sales" where the same stuff is on sale over and over, and the Kohl's-cash format, where you have to go back to the store a second ime to reap your savings.
—
By Sandy Beach (SandyBeach)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 2:28 PM
- Review
I don't watch much TV, so I have never seen that commercial.
As for the newspaper I understandd that ads are needed, but agree with John on the sticker. I see them on the ground in convenience store parking lots and stuck all over the GCDN vending machines around the island. The only other publication I am aware that uses those stickers is the Yellow Pages.
—
By Laura Elder (lauraelder)
on Feb. 1, 2012 at 4:58 PM
- Review
Congress is supposedly working on a bill that would limit advertisers from blasting overly-loud noise and vocals in their commercials.I wish they would also enact legislation that would standardize volume levels on all networks.For example, NFL Network is one of the loudest,but if you turn it down and change the channel you can't hear ABC or whatever else it was you turned to.Minor pet peeve of mine.
—
By Rick Wade (Rick_Wade1)
on Feb. 2, 2012 at 9:21 PM
- Review
J. G.,
You're not getting it -- think harder. Besides the annoying in-your-face advertising on the front page (which I wouldn't patronize anyway for their rude intrusion), I used to cut-out articles/pictures for a journal -- the sticker often was squarely on a picture that is ruined when I try to remove said sticker. No other newspaper I know of puts an ad sticker on their front page. It's a dumb idea. As for advertising being needed, fine, I know that (wasn't born yesterday) but NOT an obnoxious/loud sticker on the front page. Period. As I said, enough already!
Laura Elder has covered business for The Daily News since 2001 and writes Biz Buzz, a twice-weekly column.
She grew up in Houston and graduated from the University of Houston with a communications degree in 1992. She worked for six years at the Houston Business Journal covering the retail and restaurant industries.
She lives in Galveston with her husband Michael Smith, also a journalist.
