Circuit City on Super Paper Mario promo: Gotcha!

We don’t know what retail chain Circuit City is up to but its latest promotion on Super Paper Mario turned out to be a bit tricky, to say the least. According to the store, fans who wouldn’t be able to get the copy of the video game on its opening (last Tuesday) would get a US$ 20 gift card. This would take effect provided that the store didn’t have the title.

However, there are many ways to interpret the phrase “didn’t have the title”. Say for example, in the event that Circuit City doesn’t get its allocation for Super Paper Mario, that can be considered as “the store didn’t have the title.” Likewise, if Circuit City runs out of stock for the video game, that also can be referred to as “the store didn’t have the title.”

The point is, the promo was worded in such a way that fans will get the impression that whatever happens, they will either be able to purchase the game or get the gift card. Apparently, Circuit City was playing smarta** as one Kotaku reader told this story:

I get to Circuit City and stand in the customer service line. I see they’d erected a little sign reading Super Paper Mario sold out. I’m bummed that they don’t have it but I think at least I can get a US$ 20 gift card so I can get the game later at a discounted price. I ask him about the offer in the weekly ad. He says I don’t get a gift card because they did have the game in stock – earlier. He said I would have only gotten the gift card if their supply never came. SHADY!!

Well, what more can we add but it’s a marketing strategy being employed by the retail chain to probably boost sales. But we here at QJ maintain that it’s never good to offer fans sumptuous servings of “empty promise pie”.

We don’t know what retail chain Circuit City is up to but its latest promotion on Super Paper Mario turned out to be a bit tricky, to say the least. According to the store, fans who wouldn’t be able to get the copy of the video game on its opening (last Tuesday) would get a US$ 20 gift card. This would take effect provided that the store didn’t have the title.

However, there are many ways to interpret the phrase “didn’t have the title”. Say for example, in the event that Circuit City doesn’t get its allocation for Super Paper Mario, that can be considered as “the store didn’t have the title.” Likewise, if Circuit City runs out of stock for the video game, that also can be referred to as “the store didn’t have the title.”

The point is, the promo was worded in such a way that fans will get the impression that whatever happens, they will either be able to purchase the game or get the gift card. Apparently, Circuit City was playing smarta** as one Kotaku reader told this story:

I get to Circuit City and stand in the customer service line. I see they’d erected a little sign reading Super Paper Mario sold out. I’m bummed that they don’t have it but I think at least I can get a US$ 20 gift card so I can get the game later at a discounted price. I ask him about the offer in the weekly ad. He says I don’t get a gift card because they did have the game in stock – earlier. He said I would have only gotten the gift card if their supply never came. SHADY!!

Well, what more can we add but it’s a marketing strategy being employed by the retail chain to probably boost sales. But we here at QJ maintain that it’s never good to offer fans sumptuous servings of “empty promise pie”.