ometimes, advertising that should work will backfire...

...as it did when Sears spent a hundred million dollars to promote its no sales policy.

What's that, you say?

You never heard about Sears' 'no sales' policy?

Not surprising. The Every Single Day Pricing campaign was an utter, complete flop.

WhizzO believes a 'no sales' policy could work for Sears -- as it has for arch-foe Wal-Mart. If your buyers do their jobs, it's really not that tough. You make better use of the selling floor with end cap displays, cross-merchandising, and maybe even some decent employee sales incentives. (Note to Sears: call us. We can help. 321-452-4140)

But big ad agencies don't make money designing end cap displays. They make money selling national TV advertising.

Agency meatheads -- er, agency account management -- went to work. Hmm. Lessee.... No more sales. How to tell the customer?

The resulting, disastrous, strategy was: "The Sale That Never Ends."

"Sale" was the last word to use to describe Sears' new strategy. While some prices were lowered substantially -- the essence of a sale -- most prices varied only slightly, and some prices even went up! Damn reality! Full sale ahead!

This incredibly awful promise was seen everywhere. The agency "roadblocked" certain time slots on broadcast TV and even -- good heavens! -- key cable channels. While the final cost of the "Every Single Day Pricing" lanch was never divulged, the consensus estimate was somewhere around a hundred million smackeroos -- and that's in 1989 loot, not New Millennium Money.

The effect of all that sale advertising was right up there with "buy this magazine or we'll shoot this dog."

Customers who came to the store expecting bargains (or at least Wal-Mart-level prices), didn't find the sale, and often didn't come back to the store.

Within six months, the whole Sale Ended. Forever.

Sears is still suffering from the debacle.