U.K. department store ad surprisingly emotional -- and effective

I admit it: I’m a sucker for sentimental TV advertising. I can still tear up at the memory of an old Hallmark commercial that involved an elderly teacher and a former student. Over in the United Kingdom, the big buzz is about the new commercial for department store retailer John Lewis. Many British TV critics are saying it packs more of an emotional punch than any of the current televised dramas.

The ad condensifies a woman’s entire life into 90 seconds (well, almost entire -- she is silver-haired with grandchildren at the end). It’s simple, but masterfully done. Everything works. The only audio is a reworking of Billy Joel’s “Always a Woman to Me, ” sung by British indie artist Fyfe Dangerfield.

The message is one that resonates in today’s uncertain world: Life is full of unexpected turns, and it goes by fast. Buy reliable, quality goods that will stand the test of time.

Watch it here.

Shopping Vicariously: Hauls on YouTube

Want to find out what teens are buying these days? Just go to YouTube and search the word “hauls.” And then just click on one of the videos that come up on the right. (Or you can just click above or on the links at the end of this posting.)

Anyway, I have to admit that I had never heard of a haul until yesterday morning when my favorite DJ (Elvis Duran on Z100, just for the record) started talking about it. Here’s the scoop: A haul is basically a video diary in which a young consumer (typically a teen girl) details every single purchase she has made in her most recent shopping trip, showing off the items to the world courtesy of her trusty Web camera. What’s amazing is how confident most of these girls are about passing judgment on products and brands.

The haul videos have developed into a major YouTube sensation, with more than 100,000 such videos already uploaded on the site. The most popular haul diarists (or “vloggers” as they call themselves) have devoted followings and their videos get hundreds of thousands of hits. All this has not escaped the attention of savvy makeup and clothing marketers, who are showering the most popular vloggers with lucrative product deals and sponsorships. Not a bad way to earn some extra cash -- it sure beats flipping burgers.

To watch some hauls, click any of the three links below:

Black Friday haul
Victoria's Secret Makeup Haul & Review
Another Forever21 haul

A Record Day

One of my favorite retail-related holidays is fast upon us: Saturday, April 17, is Record Store Day. It’s a celebration of all-things vinyl, created a few years back by independent music store owners.

I feel sad for today’s music-loving kids and teens, the majority of whom buy their music online. Sure, it’s quick and convenient. But it doesn’t come close to the fun of browsing through bins of records in small, dusty stores -- I’m talking pre-Tower and pre-Virgin here -- adorned with posters of cool bands and packed with racks of magazines devoted to the same. Such places, while quite rare, still exist, particularly here in New York City. One of the best is Rebel Rock, 319 Bleecker St.

Just to let everyone know, my all-time favorite record store was a no-frills spot on the corner of Broad Street in downtown Elizabeth, N.J., called Vogel’s. It was a small store, probably no more than 1,500 sq. ft., with a shopworn look to it. But when I was growing up, I thought it was the hippest store around. My friends and I would take turns begging our parents to drive us there on the weekends. Vogel’s was known for having the very latest releases (particularly from the British bands that we so adored). No one else came close.

On some Saturdays, Vogel’s was so crowded that we actually had to wait in line outside get in. We didn’t mind. It only added to the excitement -- and to the store’s lure. My godson laughs when I tell him these stories. He downloads the latest release within seconds. So do I for that matter.

I’ve been to some great stores over the years, in some pretty exotic places too. But none of them can conjure up the same feelings and magic as Vogel’s.

What store does it for you?