Best Buy Challenges the Big Guy for Christmas Glory

I don’t know about you, but if I had the choice between spending my own money or having Santa make my toys, I’d choose the latter. If I happen to get a head start on him for Christmas joy, I wouldn’t hit him in the bowl-full-of-jelly gut and then break his corncob pipe.

But that is what Best Buy is doing to Kris Kringle this holiday season with their “Game On, Santa” campaign.

According to AdAge, the intent of the campaign is to “allow moms to revel in their role as ‘chief gift giver.’” The ad also is to show mom as the champion of the holidays and the one who made it happen.

Senior VP-U.S. marketing Drew Panayiotou tells AdAge “We knew it would win or lose, [based on] whether she was having fun with Santa or beating up on Santa. And we had to have a cool, strong Santa that was amused and entertained by what was going on.”

I may not be the intended target audience in this ad, but it appears they are beating up on Santa. Early indications on You Tube comments are not in favor of these women. One comment says, “I like Best Buy, but where do they go from here? Kicking puppies and stomping on kittens?” Another comment says, “if I were Santa, I’d burn that smug [explicit]’s house down.”

While these early indications may be off, I’m wiling to bet that there are more people that think Santa is being beaten up than having fun. Honestly, who drinks Santa’s milk right in front of him while glaring him down? She didn’t even laugh it off and say “J/K!” although that may not have eased the tension.

What do you think? Is Best Buy Moms’ beating up on Santa or having fun with him?