The poster ads can currently be seen in the London Underground and use the style, colour and font of John Lewis ads. (Selfridges and Harrods have also come under their wrath)
The ad mocking John Lewis is above, and the main part uses JL’s trademark font, colours and style to describe a flowery shopping trip there, with a posh salesboy telling you all about a product… then it switches into Dixon’s red and white lettering and adds that after that experience you should go to Dixons.co.uk to buy the product as it’s "The last place you want to go".
The campaign is said to tap into shopping habits that suggest consumers research big-ticket purchases in stores before seeking out the best bargains online… and I can relate to that… I wanted to buy a new digital camera recently, and knew that Boots had some good deals online, where I could also get lots of lovely advantage points, but I wanted some proper advice before making a purchase so I hit the high street to try out some new cameras. Ok so not a big-ticket purchase like a TV, but still, a fair bit of cash exchanging hands, and I wanted the cheapest and most beneficial option, which I believe I got.
So basically the ads are saying to customers, feel free to do your research where the customer service levels are top notch, but make us your last port of call as we have what you need at cheaper prices.
Dixon’s has a poor record for customer service so their tag line ‘the last place you want to go,’ is a bit tongue-in-cheek, which I feel compliments the whole cheeky feel of these ads. As a result they’ve been criticized by JL who think it’s strange that Dixons are making a virtue of the fact that they don’t have a comparable level of service. I think it’s clever though, as do a lot of people commenting on the story across the web; in the current climate consumers want to make more informed decisions on big purchases, they may therefore want to make the most of customer service levels seen in the likes of JL, however at the end of the day, they still want to pay as little as possible.
Dixons are appealing to these credit crunch customers and all JL etc can say is that they are highlighting their own weaknesses… I think they should prove that their offerings are just as cheap in the long run, guarantees and aftercare included, instead of acting all high and mighty about Dixon’s ads. The big department stores have an opportunity to address customers who are interested in the ads, the idea behind them, and the buzz around them; why don’t they fight back to retain these people instead of resting on their laurels and alienating new potential sales? I think it’s the bigwigs that look silly here, not Dixons.
Sorry Mr Lewis!
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