Dine in for £20

It's probably been a couple of years now where Marks and Spencer have offered the 'dine in for £10' every few weeks, which as a concept has truly hit the right note, firstly it's great in the recession, you get a three course meal with wine for two, all for £10, never would you be able to get that in a restaurant (well maybe now with all the vouchers floating around) and secondly it's Marks and Spencer food, which for most is a treat so it's a double hit. This makes Valentines the ideal opportunity to capitalise on the deal, and push the boat out for that special occasion, therefore the customer is making an effort but not having to spend a small fortune dining out in a cattle market trying to win the award for most loved up couple. The reason I'm talking about this is not for the idea itself, although genius it is with many supermarkets copying the idea I am looking at the power of advertising. As Valentines has been and gone I will do a quick recap -


After a good 10 minutes of scouring the internet for the Marks and Spencer Valentine's advert of which has disappeared from YouTube (bizarre, would be good for archive if nothing else) I will just talk you through the scenario. I was one of the many lucky individuals to be working on the Valentines weekend and not only that, promoting and stocking up the 'dine in'. In amongst the hoards of people a young chap asked me what the starter was on the advert (sadly at this point I was yet to see the ad on TV and had not been briefed any of the information) one manager was in a similar position to me, thankfully the second manager had a press pack, and if your itching to know it was the Gastropub Camembert with Cranberry & Apple Chutney I believe followed by The Cook Menu Steak with Peppercorn Sauce and Strawberry & Champagne Souffle for pudding followed by the wine and chocolates. A great offer most customers saving over £11. But the point was about the advert and the visuals, if I remember correctly the chap literally had the adverts dinner in his basket bearing in mind there were probably at least six options per dish. To be fair I would of probably gone for that one too but I just find it amazing the impact a TV ad can have, especially if it is the right brand. Fascinating!