Just a Walmart marketing ploy


While I like stop motion animation, this is just a Walmart marketing/PR ploy. They produced this as part of a series of straight to DVD movies.
Expect positive Walmart references.
And I have only seen a portion of the trailer, but some of the voice talent seems very miscast.

reply

I am NEVER in favor of Walmart...but I believe that they had the money to do distribution on this movie not production. That is how sometimes small films get funded. Do see it!!!! I love it!!! It's funny and is very well done.
The concept was not Walmarts so the story plot is not a ploy.
P.S. Tom Smith Puppet supervisor and animator is my bother.

reply

I just saw this and I am beyond disgusted. Yes, this was mildly amusing and the animation was pretty good, but the story and overall message was deplorable. This was more than a Wal Mart marketing ploy, it was an hour long Wal Mart commercial teaching kids that the importance of Christmas is believing in Santa Clause because then you will get toys. Wal Mart should be ashamed with this kind of crass comercialism and ABC should be ashamed to air it. And don't mistake me for a religious nutcase. While, yes, I am a Christian, I understand that the Holiday has been largely secularized and is enjoyed by people of all faiths or with out faiths at all. However, there should still be meaning behind this holiday other than begging parents for gifts. And yes, the original Rudolph the Red Nosed Reigndeer did focus on gift giving but the larger message was accepting people for there differences, finding your purpose in life, and appreciating the ones you love. This special seemed to be mocking all the themes in the original. Also, notice how they were very careful not to mention Rudolph by name? Because they don't own the rights to Rudolph and are skirting the copyright laws just enough to avoid getting sued. And while Wal Mart should feel free to distribute their own videos with whatever message they want, it is a shame that ABC feels that they need to pay to air an hour long ad for the largest symbol of irresponsible American Capitalism.

reply

[deleted]

I'm tempted to write to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about this broadcast. Seriously! I thought there was a law that stated that all infomercials had to be so labeled.

Life is a movie; write your own ending

reply

I did it. I sent this email to the FCC:

---
I'm writing with my concern about the airing of a television special entitled "Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen" on the ABC network tonight, Sunday December 6, 2006. This program was nothing more than an hour-long infomercial for Campbell's soups, Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart, but was disguised as a holiday program. While I don't think every single broadcast that may offend somebody should be kept off the air, a broadcast that is clearly intended to sell products, especially to children, should be labeled as such. It is my understanding that a paid commercial broadcast must be clearly identified. I would like to see this ruling enforced in the future.
---

Life is a movie; write your own ending

reply

[deleted]

ummm...it was labeled as such. It contained a note saying that the content of the program was the sole responsibility of a sponsor (you'll notice a similar note during every Billy Graham program that's ever appeared on CBS--the time slot was purchased by a sponsor). Beyond that, it also mentioned that promotional consideration had been provided by Wal-mart, Coca-Cola, and Campbell's. You'll see similar credits at the end of just about every network show.

reply

But you can't expect grade school-aged kids to understand that. They are just going to sit there and have an ad for Coke, Walmart and Campbell's Soup spoon-fed to them (yes, pun intended).

There were some amusing moments to this one, but certainly not destined to be a classic.

reply

If you had been paying attention it was marked as such several times through out the broadcast. It was labeled as a paid advertisement from Madison Road Entertainment.

Nice try though.

reply

I saw the little credits at the end, but you're right, I didn't notice any such mention of "paid advertisement." Could've been different in my market though. I live in Seattle, WA. Or it could have been that I missed it. If so, my bad!

Life is a movie; write your own ending

reply

The character of Rudolph was created by the Montgomery Ward dept stores as a promotional gimmick.

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/rudolph.asp

reply

Umm everybody should really relax, with everything else to worry about you pick a christmas special to get on a soapbox about? Have a mary christmas or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate, and try and use your time worrying about stuff that matters. It could have been worse they could have been pushing Neiman Marcus.

reply

[deleted]

you guys are really lame. this was meant to be a heartfelt movie, and the people that produced and created it really put their heart behind it one hundred percent. Kelli Bixler who made the film of Bix Pix productions was in the editing suite at our company everyday excited that she could make a movie for kids. She remembers growing up and watching them every year and just wanted something like that for more recent times. It's not about walmart, walmart just supported her and gave her the money to back up a dream. you people really need to let go.

reply

[deleted]

I'd have to agree with you ejiggy. I love this movie, and just watched it a few days ago, and have watched it at least 5 or more times...This will be one of my favorite Christmas movies to watch...

reply