And I totally agree. I'm sorry but making Education seem extra boring in order to promote a store is despicable... OK, the kid in me (and the adult toy collector) would agree that going to Toys R Us and getting free stuff is AWESOME!! The issue I have with this commercial is the first part where they are using an Educational Field Trip as something that is boring. (this was probably achieved by driving around for a long time to make the Field Trip seem more boring when filming.) That bugs me because the Message being delivered (un)intentionally is School Stuff is BORING!! Toys R Us is cool!
I understand that some people may think that I'm overanalyzing it and that it's more innocent that what I'm seeing, but we must remember that it is both possible (and even necessary) to simultaneously enjoy this commercial while also being critical of its more problematic or pernicious aspects. We have to remember that these commercials do not exist in a vacuum, they are an increasingly important and influential part of our larger social and cultural ecosystem. Now give me tons of money to over-analyze it some more!!
All jokes aside, we must remember all the problems that are currently happening in the US regarding Education. (bureaucracy, meddling from politicians and other special interest groups, the lowered standards, budget cuts and all the other crap that is stifling our Children's education.)
Painting Education in a bad light goes against the whole Stay in School thing that has been promoted since I was in diapers and possibly before I was born.
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| This is a condensed version of what I'm seeing. |
They could have worked it in a different way... Perhaps this commercial could have been made with the reveal that the Field Trip was to Toys R Us FROM THE BEGINNING. I'm pretty sure that there's a message there about Lying being a good thing that shouldn't be there in that commercial we got.
I understand the idea to hype toys R Us as an exciting place for kids to get toys, but disagree with what they show in the commercial...
They made the TRU look way better than the real thing. I saw no "creepy" scalpers hogging the Hot Wheels sections. No adult collectors checking the action figures and having Security checking in on them (implying said customers may be thieves or child molesters). No Babies R Us section overwhelming the actual store, while making the Toys R Us Section seem smaller. No Vandalized products where figures are stolen and replaced with crap, no empty shelves. Also, that's the first Toys R Us I see that kids can grab whatever they want, open it and play with it in the store.
I miss the more Vintage Toys R Us ads...
More people would go to Toys R Us if the toys weren't so overpriced. Seriously, $16* (That's the cost on PR about $12.99 in Continental US) for the RETRO TMNT... the same figures that were reproduced a few years back and use a bit LESS PLASTIC than the current TMNT TOYS... (and back in my day were under $5!! Now get off my Wi-Fi! cause kids these days don't get on my lawn!) The Same Party Wagons that were peg-warming until early this year at $30-ish are now $50-ish... While I won't STOP going to Toys R Us... (Damn their TRU Exclusives) my visits will drastically be reduced due to this ad campaign. I'm sorry, but I cannot defend an ad that makes a mockery about learning in order to sell toys. I'm pretty sure that people HAVE been arrested before for impersonating Park Rangers or any other authority figures.
Couldn't they like, do something along these lines:
TRU Guy: Are you ready for this Field Trip?
Get the kids reaction. about the Field Trip
TRU Guy: Well, I have a Surprise for you! After the Field Trip we're Stopping at TOYS R US!!
Get the Kids cheering, then we cut to the Kids in TRU section of the ad.
That way TRU could deliver their message that TRU is awesome and make it look like they care about the kids rather than their parents' wallets. Even though they only give a damn about the parents' wallets. Also, I think that we could eliminate the whole Impersonating an Officer of the Law thing.
Before anyone comments on Actors doing that for movies. These kids are supposedly real kids from a real school that they took on the Field Trip and not child actors. So, even if the TRU employee is an actor, the message given is that it's OK to impersonate an officer of the law in order to give toys to kids. More ammo for the Child Molesters to use.
They could have done this better without the cheap shots... (Leave those to bloggers, Youtubers and Media Critics!!)
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