Purple Holiday Rant

The purple Santa video I'm seeing all over the place, which was even texted to me by my brother late last night, seems to be striking a chord in the heart of America this week.  Travelers at one location tell the West Jet Santa what they want for Christmas, then the West Jet employees scramble to buy these items and miraculously wrap them before the plane lands at it's location.  Oh.my.word. Is this all it takes to make us cry and think warm and fuzzy thoughts?

 

That the young professional couple with the healthy child and enough money to buy three plane tickets got their 50" TV from West Jet at the end?

REALLY?

We are such suckers for marketing, especially good marketing like anything that can go viral on the Internet. We waste valuable minutes of our life watching this ridiculous gimmick and believing that it shows how giving and generous the world can be.  What thoughtful folks they are at West Jet--if only they served Tallahassee, I would be their #1 customer!  What a deserving guy who got the socks and underwear he requested in such a snarky manner!  And that poor little boy who only wants Thomas the Train for Christmas--I'm so glad he got his happy ending!  Oh, if only I had been on that fateful flight--I could've gotten my much-desired espresso maker! 

Quick, edit the video and make it look awesome because West Jet's purple Santa is about to storm Facebook with this particular piece of marketing magic.



Yay!  Now I can play on my Nintendo DS, my DS 3D, my Wii, and this awesome freebie!

We are just foolish enough to think this video expresses man's goodwill.  I got a little choked up myself until I thought how ridiculously First World this whole spoof really is.  Look a little deeper and you see what it does in fact express:  manipulation.  That's what good marketing does.  It affects our opinion of something and shapes it in subtle ways.  Kudos, West Jet.  We are a nation of passive thinkers who enjoy little juicy morsels like this.  If we have to eat our marketing pie, at least let it be deliciously entertaining. 

Christmas, you are a hot commercial mess and we--citizens of the wealthiest and most well-educated nation in the history of the world--go along with it year after year, purple Santas and all.