Early Look At War On Christmas (Lowe's Blames "Proofing Error"-Others Improve)

American Family Association/Loews/Home Depot /Others Web Sites ^ | 11-13-07 | AFA/Self

[icwhatudo]

After the AFA contacted Loews Home Improvement about some issues with its use of the term Christmas (or lack thereof) Loews responded:

"Lowe's has contacted the AFA and assures us that it is proudly committed to selling Christmas trees this year, as it has done for more than 60 years. The company apologized for the confusion created in its 2007 holiday catalog when it headlined the page of Christmas trees "family trees." The error was not caught before the publication was distributed, and Lowe's says it is disappointed in the breakdown in its proofing process.

Lowe's assures us that they refer to trees as Christmas trees in this season's television and magazine ads and in its advertising flyers. The company says it is redoubling its efforts to proof its catalogs in the future to prevent this issue from recurring.

We appreciate Lowe's for listening to its customers and responding appropriately to our concerns."

[icwhatudo]

Wondering what "holidays" Loews has decorations for? Lets take a look:

Loews website search field is on upper left:

Enter the word Holiday and....175 results found for "Holiday"
Enter the word Christmas and....175 results found for "Christmas"
Enter the word Kwanza and....0 results found for "Kwanza"
Enter the word Hanukkah and....0 results found for "Hanukkah"
Enter the word Ramadan and....0 results found for "Ramadan"
Enter the word Thanksgiving and....0 results found for "Thanksgiving"
Enter the word New Years and....0 results found for "New Years"

------------------------

Loews competition HOME DEPOT apparently had no trouble with "proofing errors" and features "Christmas" trees front and center on its home page. Home Depot also makes use of the term "holiday" for decorations but then they actually do offer other holiday decorations unlike Loews. One thing forcing the issue for many companies is that GE is calling their artificial trees "Christmas trees" on large attached tags and prerecorded display advertisements.

BEST BUY this year has ditched the term "holiday" and simply gone with what they consider the big three: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza on their signs and gift cards.

TARGET is apparently honoring their promise and actually uses the term Christmas on the front cover of their latest catalog.

WALMART also seems more willing than before to use the term Christmas by calling its entire decoration department "The Christmas Shop".

[Slapshot68]

CYA, nothing more. I’ll bet they’re redoing their tv and radio ads as we speak.

[icwhatudo]

Yep, I know...its Lowe's Home Improvement. If a Mod could help me out I'd appreciate it.

[edcoil]

Always easier to ask forgiveness then permission.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Bravo Sierra. If no one had complained, they’d have gotten away with it and precedent would have been set forever.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Hit the abuse button and explain. Fastest way to get things fixed..

[AU72]

Festivus is being slighted!

[Blue Highway]

Yeah I bet the reps at Lowes are cursing Christians under their breath for making a big deal about it.

[massgopguy]

Winchester MA has canceled a field trip to see a production of Miracle on 34th Street because Santa Claus is in it.

[ontap]

For the rest of us!

[steve-b]

The never-ending search for something to be offended about continues....

[weegee]

They don’t distinguish between holiday poles and normal silver poles.

[KarlInOhio]

Proofing error? A proofing error is if one page is advertising Chirstmas Trres. Family Tree is not an error in proofreading.

[tsmith130]

Unbelievable!

[quikdrw]

How dare they slight FESTIVUS!!!!

[nina0113]

Looking at the pages at the AFA link, I’d guess they were trying to market to Jewish customers as well - that blue & silver one - but without actually saying so, since there’s no such thing as a Hanukah tree (no, nor a bush either). Hence, “family trees.” I do wonder what the upside-down one is - wiccan, maybe?

[weegee]

We apologise for the fault in the catalog. Those responsible have been sacked.

....

We apologise again for the fault in the catalog. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked have been sacked.

...

The directors of the firm hired to continue the catalog after the other people had been sacked, wish it to be known that they have just been sacked.

...

The catalog has been completed in an entirely different style at great expense and at the last minute...

[wastedyears]

[steve8714]

Target’s TV ads are only tangentially Christmassy.

[newgeezer]

Enter the word Kwanza and....0 results found for "Kwanza"

Yeah, and spelling it properly likely wouldn't help, either.