TV ads kick-start festive campaigns
<p>Waterstone's and W H Smith fired the starting gun for Christmas this week with new televised advertising campaigns highlighting their festive offers.</p><p>Waterstone's Christmas television push kicked off on 17th October with a half-price children's books offer tying in to half-term. Waterstone's TV programme this Christmas will consist of five ad campaigns, each focusing on a different theme with the strapline "Give some inspiration". A spokesperson said: "Each ad shows a different world that opens up within the pages of a book, before going on to feature a selection of related lead titles."</p><p>WHS launched an aggressive half- price offer on top 20 hardbacks and top 20 children's books on 17th October, advertising across press and TV. The offer runs until Sunday and will be followed by subsequent weekly deals in the run-up to Christmas. WHS' Christmas catalogue will be sent to customers next week with Christmas displays to follow shortly after. Business unit director of books Rachel Russell said this year's marketing will add to WHS' existing "Think W H Smith" campaign. "We've had a good start already with Jamie and Nigella," she said. "October is key for book launches and activity will really escalate from then."</p><p>Waterstone's main Christmas window display and point-of-sale material, featuring the "bold, rich" Christmas colours of red, gold, green and purple, will be launched on 1st November. The chain is expected to offer two half-price books every two weeks on a theme such as cookery or sport.</p><p>"We've planned a phased approach which better reflects how our customers shop at this time of year," said the spokesperson. "Our stores will . . . move into the full Christmas look and feel from 1st November when we will start to feature more overtly gift books as people start to think seriously about Christmas shopping." Waterstone's new Christmas catalogue will also be launched on 1st November, with specially tailored regional versions.</p><p>Borders will introduce Christmas-themed point-of-sale material—straplined "Find Something Different This Christmas"—from the start of November. Commercial director David Cohn said that along with offering the guaranteed Christmas bestsellers, the chain wants to sell "alternatives to the Christmas hits". These will include special editions of various titles, including Philip Pullman's Golden Compass box set as well added value extras on gift books.</p>