Sometimes you have to lie to tell the truth

Macy’s ads this holiday season have presents laid out in the shape of a Christmas tree. The message is that Macy’s is the go-to destination for gifting.

However, the point is lost because the arrangement just looks like a bunch of objects– none of them stand out or feel special. The items also aren’t to scale, so a wallet is the size of a sweater, which is strange.

Ads for retailers shouldn’t try to say too much. The goal should be to get people into your stores or onto your website. Once that happens, you can hook ‘em with in-store signage, merchandising displays, etc, to close the sale.