Supermarket shoppers: if they’re not laughing, they’re crying
At a time when a grocery receipt can make you want to cry, there’s an alarming lack of FMCG campaigns that make you want to laugh.
Humour, at least in this category, in our local market, is out of style. But, isn’t laughter, especially in the supermarket, what we all need right now? Michael Barnfield, creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia, explores.
Hands up who’s been here. You’re at the supermarket checkout, trolley full to the brim, with your heart in your mouth and one eye on the display screen. You watch the total climb upwards and upwards. The bill is starting to look like a house deposit now. Until finally, with trembling hand and tears in your eyes, you tap to pay and swear you’re never coming back.
Of course, same time next week, you’ve returned with determination to play it smart. But exactly how are we meant to drive our grocery bills down? We could buy fewer items. Or swear off the branded goods we love so much and get into bed with home brand alternatives.
Supermarkets are starting to promise they’ll make everyone’s decision-making easier, in one instance removing “duplication” across stores to the tune of 2,500 products. That’s 10% less choice for consumers, and consequently less space for brands to compete for.
