Argos - Festive fun, or frustrating?

I have succumbed to the pull of the Christmas Argos catalogue. Have you? It's certianly nowhere near as hefty as I remember it during the 1990s of course, but still a page-turner.

Kids must think it's boring to look at a catalogue these days - it doesn't glow, swipe or make electronic sounds. I'd say it's a pretty important childhood memory to have circled your wish list in the Argos catalogue in the hope that some of it might just materialise on Christmas morning. 🤞

Childhood reminiscing aside, here's what caught my eye:

Thoughts on the front cover

One thing to notice is that they hardly even announce who they are. An interesting choice. The words 'Argos Gift Guide' are pretty small and almost unnoticeable. Someone has made that decision and it largely works, but how? Probably because the strong flush of the colour red screams Argos for anyone who is familiar with this age-old brand.

The cover message

Now this has irked me somewhat, mainly because I find it really frustrating that Christmas has got so wildly out of hand in recent times. When did spending several hundred pounds on one item for someone become so normal? It seems that Argos, and most other high street brands, have forgotten all about the cost of living crisis.

I would strongly argue that "the joy of Christmas" is not in obtaining expensive, flashy things that you put in a cupboard and forget after two weeks, but it's in the joy of being with special people, enjoying good food and being cosy. Time off work (for most of us) is enough of a treat, right? I can't be alone in feeling slightly alarmed at the scale that Christmas "norms" have seemingly reached.

And inside... just NO!

What are they trying to do to parents of innocent kids everywhere? A blatant giveaway that parents might just be behind the big red fella's presence. Horrors! My small human could read all of these words, but thank goodness he hasn't seen it.

I get that the writer is aiming this page at young teenagers and that they probably understand the real deal behind Christmas magic, but that doesn't mean younger kids aren't going to flick through every page - especially when the toy section is at the back.

I feel like there is a serious responsibility for copywriters to tow the line and retain what tiny scraps of Christmas magic there might still be left for the little ones. Christmas isn't just a big old spending spree. That's what the shops want us to think, and copywriters all over are sucked into that vortex of messaging to keep up with each other. What a shame. Can't we strip this back and find the sparkle of what Christmas should really mean without stress, debt and capitalism?

Rant over. What's you take? Let me know!

PS: I hope my husband sees the bits I've circled in there.

(Obviously that's a joke! Just coal for me.) 😂