I am an advertising professional and the first time I saw these commercials I couldn't believe they were for American Signature. I've always considered AS a stylish yet affordable furniture store. These new spots make it look more like a cheap budget furniture store. Badcock has nicer looking commercials and they carry cheaper less stylish brands. If I didn't previously know American Signature, I would not consider shopping there based on the cheasy, cheap look of their commercials.
isaac espinosa - 14 years ago
doesn't match
Eileen Melton - 14 years ago
I've always considered American Signature as a step above their competitors in terms of class and quality. However, these new ads come across as low-budget, therefore lowering the perceived quality of their product.
Jay - 14 years ago
They don't match at all. Like the poll states...it looks like a budget rent-a-center commercial. You look at their buildings and feel like they are an upscale nice place. Then the commercials come along with the horrible graphics of a used car sales lot and the dancing people that have nothing to do with furniture.
Katrina - 14 years ago
I stumbled upon this poll doing some research for one of my clients and found the various comments interesting. Some sounding defensive for whatever reason.
Having extensive experience in marketing for many of the big players in Atlanta, I definitely know the importance of pushing sales. That's all my clients care about -- numbers. And in reality, that's what THEY should care about most. As a marketer it's my responsibility to provide them with the appropriate marketing and advertising opportunities that will create stronger sales and most importantly residual sales. To do that however, there needs to be a fine balance between sales and the brand. The two can work together. If a short-term campaign that moves dramatically away from a brand creates a ton of sales because of the offer, newness of the campaign, or because of shock value that's great -- but only for short term goals. Unfortunately, that's a slippery slope that can result in greater loss long-term. Only time will tell. But hopefully history won't be too hard on American Signature.
Whether or not my opinion matters, I do feel this campaign can potentially harm the American Signature I've always known. The approach seemed a bit desperate and there could have been a strong sales message without hurting the brand image.
Colby - 14 years ago
Having a background in building brands, customer experience and in-store conversion it's interesting to read all the comments about how the commercials cheapen the brand, lack class and taste, the blue and pink cheapen the brand, etc. Agency people are great to talk to. Brand, brand, brand. Never do you hear them talk about turning the "brand" into actual sales. I would love to hear an agency, for once, actually stand behind their work and forecast what kind of sales increase they think they can achieve and more importantly get paid based on that increase. If they were to do that they'd actually be accountable for something. That's not to insult agencies or say brand building isn't important...they do have their purpose, but brand perception is continually evolving, especially when your interacting with consumers. The brand no longer belongs to the company. The brand belongs to the consumer. In the end they will decide whether a campaign was successful or not.
A company won't base its success on whether the brand and commercials were beautiful, flowing room shots with models that make agencies and the company feel good. They will base it on the bottom line...sales. Did the commercials do what they were supposed to do, which I assume is drive store traffic.
Sure the dancing people, presidents, etc. are crazy commercials. Do they ride the line of "what the H*#& is going on?! DEFINITELY! But, I and my friends thought they were hilarious and my perception was American Signature has a personality and more importantly a HUGE sale that are causing people to dance. Not to mention I'm kinda looking forward to what they'll do next. I'm more inclined to buy from a company that is fun and crazy than a company that needs to put a super models face to furniture in order to sell it.
The fact that were talking about their commercials and noticing that before the crazy commercials there was no online "buzz" about American Signature Furniture and now there are tweets, Facebook posts, etc. You tell me...are the commercials working? I would assume the people to ask would be the sales people in the stores, not agency people looking for a new client.
Sorry about the rant, not normally my character.
slb - 14 years ago
As far as I can tell the furniture in the store is the same quality today that it was before I saw these TV commercials. I think the TV commercials are funny and they actually cause me to wonder what is going on the stores. What did their other TV commercials look like?
steve - 14 years ago
I think the commercials are funny and different. Sometimes people react negatively to something because it is unexpected and new. Authentic and unconventional can cut through the clutter and resonate with people. I applaud the effort of trying to be different. It is easy to do what everyone else is already doing or done.
Tricia Mason - 14 years ago
Rooms To Go which is known for their "No Payments" until years later was always the furniture for the budget conscious but they never made their commercials look cheap or cheesy. They even got people on board like Cindy Crawford to add class and quality to their brand. What American Signature is doing is cheapening their brand with their hokey new ad campaign that not only will turn customers away but will turn away any repeat business they have obtained from loyal customers who may have thought they were buying from an upscale furniture company!
I say FIRE THAT AD AGENCY and find one that will save them from throwing their brand down the tubes!
Tiffany L. Ryan - 14 years ago
I was thinking that exact thing when I saw them. Actually was going to write a blog about it myself. The blue and pink graphics used really cheapen the brand.
Pablo Aviles - 14 years ago
They lack the class and taste that I used to associate with them. I thought I was watching a spoof the first time I saw one of the new commercials.
Their brand has taken a major blow due to these recent spots. Once upon a time American Signature Furniture seemed to offer the best of both worlds – great looks AND a great price. But the furniture no longer has a classy image because the brand doesn't support one. Now they just look cheap, unstylish and desperate. Cheap price for classy brand image = value. Cheap price for cheap brand image = cheap.
Lorraine Fontaine - 14 years ago
Very junky. They look and sound like fast food ads.
I am an advertising professional and the first time I saw these commercials I couldn't believe they were for American Signature. I've always considered AS a stylish yet affordable furniture store. These new spots make it look more like a cheap budget furniture store. Badcock has nicer looking commercials and they carry cheaper less stylish brands. If I didn't previously know American Signature, I would not consider shopping there based on the cheasy, cheap look of their commercials.
doesn't match
I've always considered American Signature as a step above their competitors in terms of class and quality. However, these new ads come across as low-budget, therefore lowering the perceived quality of their product.
They don't match at all. Like the poll states...it looks like a budget rent-a-center commercial. You look at their buildings and feel like they are an upscale nice place. Then the commercials come along with the horrible graphics of a used car sales lot and the dancing people that have nothing to do with furniture.
I stumbled upon this poll doing some research for one of my clients and found the various comments interesting. Some sounding defensive for whatever reason.
Having extensive experience in marketing for many of the big players in Atlanta, I definitely know the importance of pushing sales. That's all my clients care about -- numbers. And in reality, that's what THEY should care about most. As a marketer it's my responsibility to provide them with the appropriate marketing and advertising opportunities that will create stronger sales and most importantly residual sales. To do that however, there needs to be a fine balance between sales and the brand. The two can work together. If a short-term campaign that moves dramatically away from a brand creates a ton of sales because of the offer, newness of the campaign, or because of shock value that's great -- but only for short term goals. Unfortunately, that's a slippery slope that can result in greater loss long-term. Only time will tell. But hopefully history won't be too hard on American Signature.
Whether or not my opinion matters, I do feel this campaign can potentially harm the American Signature I've always known. The approach seemed a bit desperate and there could have been a strong sales message without hurting the brand image.
Having a background in building brands, customer experience and in-store conversion it's interesting to read all the comments about how the commercials cheapen the brand, lack class and taste, the blue and pink cheapen the brand, etc. Agency people are great to talk to. Brand, brand, brand. Never do you hear them talk about turning the "brand" into actual sales. I would love to hear an agency, for once, actually stand behind their work and forecast what kind of sales increase they think they can achieve and more importantly get paid based on that increase. If they were to do that they'd actually be accountable for something. That's not to insult agencies or say brand building isn't important...they do have their purpose, but brand perception is continually evolving, especially when your interacting with consumers. The brand no longer belongs to the company. The brand belongs to the consumer. In the end they will decide whether a campaign was successful or not.
A company won't base its success on whether the brand and commercials were beautiful, flowing room shots with models that make agencies and the company feel good. They will base it on the bottom line...sales. Did the commercials do what they were supposed to do, which I assume is drive store traffic.
Sure the dancing people, presidents, etc. are crazy commercials. Do they ride the line of "what the H*#& is going on?! DEFINITELY! But, I and my friends thought they were hilarious and my perception was American Signature has a personality and more importantly a HUGE sale that are causing people to dance. Not to mention I'm kinda looking forward to what they'll do next. I'm more inclined to buy from a company that is fun and crazy than a company that needs to put a super models face to furniture in order to sell it.
The fact that were talking about their commercials and noticing that before the crazy commercials there was no online "buzz" about American Signature Furniture and now there are tweets, Facebook posts, etc. You tell me...are the commercials working? I would assume the people to ask would be the sales people in the stores, not agency people looking for a new client.
Sorry about the rant, not normally my character.
As far as I can tell the furniture in the store is the same quality today that it was before I saw these TV commercials. I think the TV commercials are funny and they actually cause me to wonder what is going on the stores. What did their other TV commercials look like?
I think the commercials are funny and different. Sometimes people react negatively to something because it is unexpected and new. Authentic and unconventional can cut through the clutter and resonate with people. I applaud the effort of trying to be different. It is easy to do what everyone else is already doing or done.
Rooms To Go which is known for their "No Payments" until years later was always the furniture for the budget conscious but they never made their commercials look cheap or cheesy. They even got people on board like Cindy Crawford to add class and quality to their brand. What American Signature is doing is cheapening their brand with their hokey new ad campaign that not only will turn customers away but will turn away any repeat business they have obtained from loyal customers who may have thought they were buying from an upscale furniture company!
I say FIRE THAT AD AGENCY and find one that will save them from throwing their brand down the tubes!
I was thinking that exact thing when I saw them. Actually was going to write a blog about it myself. The blue and pink graphics used really cheapen the brand.
They lack the class and taste that I used to associate with them. I thought I was watching a spoof the first time I saw one of the new commercials.
Their brand has taken a major blow due to these recent spots. Once upon a time American Signature Furniture seemed to offer the best of both worlds – great looks AND a great price. But the furniture no longer has a classy image because the brand doesn't support one. Now they just look cheap, unstylish and desperate. Cheap price for classy brand image = value. Cheap price for cheap brand image = cheap.
Very junky. They look and sound like fast food ads.