CHRIS GILMOUR: Checkers ad is cheeky — but cheesy
Filling a UK supermarket trolley at the current pound/rand exchange rate costs around half what it does in SA, especially if one sticks predominantly to generic products
Shoprite Checkers has been flighting a cheeky advertising campaign recently that suggests prices in its Checkers stores are significantly cheaper than those for similar items in stores in central London and Australia. Checkers doesn’t operate stores in either of these jurisdictions, so it’s a bit puzzling why they would flight such ads in the first place. Perhaps it’s to make those left behind in SA with load-shedding, rampant crime & violence have a smile on their faces as they continue to live a happy, laid-back (and relatively cheap?) lifestyle in sunny SA. In other words, it’s a play on the grass is always greener syndrome. However, it’s very superficial and is easy to blow apart.
The first comparison is with Moët & Chandon Champagne and steak. Getting the picture? Your average South African regularly dines out on the most expensive steaks, washed down with liberal quantities of Moët. No, of course he or she doesn’t! It’s a fatuous comparison. A better comparison would h...
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