‘i feel your pain’ or ‘put on a happy face’?
With the sad state of today’s economy, should companies be doling out empathy or encouragement?
Target stores has been running a campaign called “Brand New Day” featuring an upbeat look at how people can find joy while saving a few bucks.
Critics call the ads “contemptible” and say that advertisers like Target are at best insensitive and at worst offensive in suggesting that in a time of desperate financial, political, and cultural anxiety, the right product can turn austerity and homelessness into opportunities for personal growth.
I beg to differ – for most folks, the messages are an encouraging and uplifting ray of sunshine in the dark doom and gloom of the news media. And Target has found a way to make cutting back seem fun and fashionable to boot!
What say you?