The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / I just saw my first Christmas ad, is that allowed so early?

**Posted by Muffaraw Joe** October 25, 2024 8:03 pm

Twas' 2 months until Christmas, and the traffic flow at stores hasn't been brisk yet. the holiday season hasn't kicked in but don't fret.

Santa and Rudolph and the helpful elves, will be setting up shop in a mall near you. You can shop until you drop, and see Santa in his chair in a way it is nothing new.

But, that won't happen for a few weeks out, the holiday season hasn't fully begun and remember the true meaning of Christmas is to be kind, that is what it is about!

Wait, just wait, what have we here, what do my eyes see on TV, but an ad for the holidays, oh me, oh my how can that be?

What are they selling, on TV with glee? Could it be, they want you to by clothing at Old Navy...

Yup Old Navy needs business and they have a fancy shmancy Christmas commercial with a song and dance routine to boot!!

Here it is to watch...It features Jennifer Hudson too...

In your opinion when companies advertise too early, does that turn you off from buying goods at that establishment or are you okay with it? My sense is Santa knows when stores are naughty and getting the jump on launching their holiday ad campaigns before the unwritten date of after Remembrance Day on November 11th.

I tend to favour companies that wait until the 11th and or 12th. I think Santa will drop a lump of coal in Old Navy's stocking for being 3 weeks too soon.

What is your take Big Yella?

Last edited by Muffaraw Joe (October 25, 2024 8:05 pm)

**Posted by newsguy1** October 25, 2024 8:25 pm

I've seen this ad too and it just made me despair.
For once I can agree with Melania Trump who was caught on an audio phone call saying "fuuuuk Krees-maahs."
Right on Melania.

**Posted by DX** October 25, 2024 9:18 pm

There's been a Wayfair commercial running for a few weeks now featuring Kelly Clarkson and Peter Billingsley, as grown-up Ralphie from A Christmas Story.

**Posted by Shorty Wave** October 26, 2024 7:38 am

Way too early. I think Christmas advertising shouldn’t start until after Remembrance Day at the earliest, and radio shouldn’t play festive music until December rolls around IMO.

**Posted by RadioAaron** October 26, 2024 8:23 am

Shorty Wave wrote:
Way too early. I think Christmas advertising shouldn’t start until after Remembrance Day at the earliest, and radio shouldn’t play festive music until December rolls around IMO.

How arbitrary.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** October 26, 2024 8:36 am

Arbitrary? I disagree - November 11 is a reasonable request in this country as Remembrance Day is still very much a thing. November 11 is far less important in the US so all bets are off with how early in the year Christmas adverts might hit the air in that country - and given how easy it is for us to access American programming, the spillover effect is unavoidable.

**Posted by mace** October 26, 2024 8:45 am

Call me a Scrooge but I would be quite happy not having to listen to "Holiday Hits" until Christmas Eve. Then and then only original versions please. Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives NOT renditions by other well known artists.

**Posted by Dial Twister** October 26, 2024 8:52 am

Binson Echorec wrote:
Arbitrary? I disagree - November 11 is a reasonable request in this country as Remembrance Day is still very much a thing. November 11 is far less important in the US so all bets are off with how early in the year Christmas adverts might hit the air in that country - and given how easy it is for us to access American programming, the spillover effect is unavoidable.

I agree completely. Perhaps the importance of not blurring the focus on Remembrance Day is more relevant to older people (such as me). To watch the goings-on in America is to realize that, the further we get away from WW2, the easier it is to diminsh the importance of what our parents and grandparents did to save democracy.

After all, there's money to be made!

**Posted by paterson1** October 26, 2024 10:03 am

I know I have seen a couple of Christmas ads already, but really didn't take note of who they were for. Shows you how effective the ads were since my mind is not thinking of Christmas yet. I know it wasn't the Old Navy spot.

It is kind of inevitable that Christmas ads are sort of a mess for timing now. What with Black Friday now a thing here. This has made it our kick off to the Christmas season too, or at least that is what the experts are telling us. Although last year in terms of store traffic, here in Waterloo Region, Boxing Day/Week seemed much busier than Black Friday. This is what our local media mentioned as well, that Boxing Day had a sort of rebirth last year. Regardless, BF is busier on line.

I don't like mixing up days or holidays. I never put on my poppy before Halloween. On Nov 1st I wear it everyday until November 11th. Christmas I don't worry about shopping if I know what I am getting family and a few friends. As you get older you are not buying as many gifts so I don't sweat the shopping.

Christmas music, I don't really care. There are so many stations now, and they all do their own thing. Most of the stations I worked at would introduce the Christmas music gradually in early December and then go all Christmas the 24th until the 26th. Usually by the 27th we were back to regular format.

**Posted by mace** October 26, 2024 10:45 am

paterson1 wrote:
I know I have seen a couple of Christmas ads already, but really didn't take note of who they were for. Shows you how effective the ads were since my mind is not thinking of Christmas yet. I know it wasn't the Old Navy spot.

It is kind of inevitable that Christmas ads are sort of a mess for timing now. What with Black Friday now a thing here. This has made it our kick off to the Christmas season too, or at least that is what the experts are telling us. Although last year in terms of store traffic, here in Waterloo Region, Boxing Day/Week seemed much busier than Black Friday. This is what our local media mentioned as well, that Boxing Day had a sort of rebirth last year. Regardless, BF is busier on line.

I don't like mixing up days or holidays. I never put on my poppy before Halloween. On Nov 1st I wear it everyday until November 11th. Christmas I don't worry about shopping if I know what I am getting family and a few friends. As you get older you are not buying as many gifts so I don't sweat the shopping.

Christmas music, I don't really care. There are so many stations now, and they all do their own thing. Most of the stations I worked at would introduce the Christmas music gradually in early December and then go all Christmas the 24th until the 26th. Usually by the 27th we were back to regular format.

P1: To me that seems a logical way to introduce Christmas music to a radio station playlist. Two, maybe three songs per hour I would be ok with. It's the 24/7 format that sends me on spin cycle.

**Posted by mace** October 26, 2024 10:52 am

When it comes to gift giving, several years ago my sister and I agreed not to exchange Christmas and Birthday gifts with each other. Neither of us are married and have no children. We can both afford our needs and wants. Most importantly. when one of us dies, there is less stuff for the other person to get rid of. After having to empty our parent's home of 60 years back in 2016, we figured this was a wise decision to make.

**Posted by Shorty Wave** October 26, 2024 12:09 pm

RadioAaron wrote:
Shorty Wave wrote:
Way too early. I think Christmas advertising shouldn’t start until after Remembrance Day at the earliest, and radio shouldn’t play festive music until December rolls around IMO.
How arbitrary.

So when would you suggest Christmas advertising should start then RadioAaron? Binson Echorec and Dial Twister made some good suggestions, how about you?

**Posted by Muffaraw Joe** October 26, 2024 3:24 pm

I feel ads can start after November 11th and Christmas music one month before. It is too much hype for one "frickin" day. More ads won't induce you to buy more...and wall-to-wall Christmas music isn't going to put you in the Christmas spirit if you start it November 1st or say November 25th.

Just saying.

**Posted by Walter** October 26, 2024 5:50 pm

'Allowed'? They can run Christmas ads in June, if they want. Not many stations would turn down the revenue. Bah, Humbug.

**Posted by RadioActive** October 28, 2024 5:02 pm

If you think one station going Christmas early is bad, how about more than 24 of them - including an all Chanukah station? (How can they possibly have enough to keep that one going?)

They launch on SiriusXM Nov. 1st.

SiriusXM reveals more than two dozen holiday-themed music channels

**Posted by RadioAaron** October 28, 2024 5:46 pm

Shorty Wave wrote:
RadioAaron wrote:
Shorty Wave wrote:
Way too early. I think Christmas advertising shouldn’t start until after Remembrance Day at the earliest, and radio shouldn’t play festive music until December rolls around IMO.
How arbitrary.

So when would you suggest Christmas advertising should start then RadioAaron? Binson Echorec and Dial Twister made some good suggestions, how about you?

Whenever they want. There's no "should" This is all personal taste.

**Posted by kevjo** October 28, 2024 7:48 pm

Last I checked, we are still in a democracy. Anyone who objects to anything yuletide-related has the right to tune away until January.

**Posted by mace** October 28, 2024 8:22 pm

kevjo wrote:
Last I checked, we are still in a democracy. Anyone who objects to anything yuletide-related has the right to tune away until January.

Correct. And that is exactly what I do.