To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we honor some real TV commercials that might make you do a double take.
| Whole Foods Low Prices |
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In a series of TV commercials, Whole Foods Market, whose nickname is “whole paycheck” because of its outrageously high prices, claims just the opposite here.
“With low prices storewide, eat well for less at Whole Foods Market.”
This claim brings to mind the title of one of Judge Judy’s books:
| Allied Injury Group – Gold Watch Offer |
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When MrConsumer saw the following TV commercial for a lawyer referral service, he couldn’t believe it.
When I was in law school we learned about the code of professional responsibility that required lawyers to advertise in a dignified and professional manner. Since this ad is for a lawyer referral service, perhaps they don’t have to follow these rules, but what does it say about the lawyers on whose behalf they are advertising?
Incidentally, the guy hawking the gold watch, is comic Shaun Jones.
Those two commercials, and thousands of others, are a primary reason that I unplugged my TV back in ’17.
The lawyer guy is fun even if I think the ads are full on junk.
Loved it!
The lawyer guy is emulating the one from Seinfeld, who was emulating Johnnie Cochran
Edgar, I suggest you watch this video as I’m finding it reflects my experience for the most part, although I don’t know where this guy lives that bagels are only 67 cents at his supermarket. They’re 99 cents in my area of CT! The point is that since the Amazon ownership WF’s prices have become more competitive and often beat supermarket prices, but not in all cases as he brings out in the video. I avoid certain departments and items as they are too high priced but WF has become my “go to” place for a LOT of things in the past few years, especially produce, meat and and eggs, which during the time eggs were $5.00 a dozen at the supermarket were only $3.00!
Here’s the link to the video:
https://youtu.be/C5JAKF_Uqr8?si=hCOOT8QunbmY0Cmm
With all respect to Jeff Rossen’s findings at Whole Foods, a more comprehensive survey by Consumers’ Checkbook released last November showed that Whole Foods still could claim the title of “whole paycheck.”
“Whole Foods built a loyal following by offering high-quality produce, meat, prepared foods, and generic staples. It continues to receive high marks in our surveys of consumers for produce and meat quality, but our price survey found that Whole Foods remains among the most expensive choice among stores we shopped: Its overall prices were about 17 percent higher than the average prices at all stores we surveyed, or about 17 percent higher than top-rated Wegmans and 38 percent higher than Market Basket.”
Sometimes those averages are deceiving. What stores did they shop at and are they comparing average prices on the same items or all items? Because that makes a big difference. Jeff is comparing the same brand and variety of item one for one. Comparing averages and overall prices isn’t as specific or relevant. Edgar, I am in supermarkets and all kinds of food stores almost every day and I know what the comparisons are in my head. Sure, some things are more expensive at Whole Foods, but often there aren’t comparable items at the supermarkets to compare to them. They carry things the supermarkets don’t carry, and many of them are pricier items for sure, but let’s not say it’s a 1-1 comparison because it’s not. For comparable items WF is on the whole maybe a little more expensive than the supermarkets right now. In my area WF used to be a lot more expensive but thanks to the Amazon takeover, the increase in the minimum wage, gas prices, tariffs and other factors that are driving up supermarket costs here in CT, the difference in prices between WF and the supermarkets is shrinking every day and for several items I go to WF for equal or better quality at either the same price or less, especially when they’re having a sale.
I thought the Allied Industry Group TV ad for lawyer referrals was funnier ‘n hell. I was laughing throughout the whole thing. They picked a great guy, Shaun Jones, to do it.
BTW, I think Clark Howard is the guy who named Whole Foods, Whole Paycheck. Pretty hilarious.