Is it a December to Remember?

We’ve all seen them. The December to Remember commercials. With the easily identifiable theme music and the cheesy situations, the commercials play over and over and over.

I think they are so annoying. Whether I like it or not, the commercials are successful because I remember them. I can identify their music, I know what the offer is and they bother me.

I worked in advertising, I know good or bad, so long as there’s recall, there’s a happy client.

Even though most of these commercials annoy me, there’s one that stands out. And the first time I saw it, I think I even got a little choked up.

It’s the one where the family of four is playing a version of Guitar Hero and when it’s the mom’s turn, of course her song is the easily identifiable song. Her face changes to shock/happiness and they go outside to see the new car. Cheesy I know but it gets me every time.

On the flip side who is surprising someone with a car in this economy? It’s a pretty big investment for one person to pick out all the details and assume the recipient’s tastes. What if it’s a practical problem? What if the recipient is short and can’t see over the steering wheel. Or what if it’s an aesthetic thing? What if the recipient doesn’t like the color?

That’s 36 months of payments for something someone may not even fit in, or like! I guess if someone is buying someone a car, you gracefully accept it but it’s a pretty ballsy investment for the giver to give. What happened to a sweater? Or a book?