Not trying to nitpick, but spell-check is a wacky invention and it’s built into my browser. It would be great to not constantly be frustrated/distracted by these easily-corrected things.

In my relationship I’m usually the one buying presents and spurring my boyfriend into going out with me and wanting to do it with me can sometimes feel like a chore. This ad would probably help to make him see it in a different light. See it as a challenge to enjoy.

It’s also just a good ad in general, I think. It’s addressing the stress we all feel at Christmas and giving people a fun solution :)

I like it.

And I think the “fantasy” aspect of it might also tie-in with the Caesar’s Palace theme; the “Gent” may be representing some kind of Roman warrior.

I don’t see how this is harry potterish, though, except that harry potter is one of the better known fantasy books. Titles like “Name and the Something” are very common, especially for kids books. “Harold and the Purple Crayon”, “Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, “James and the Giant Peach”, … .

You could make an argument here that shopping for a man is an opponent to be taken down, though, thus masculinizing the task; actually I didn’t notice that before. So this is indeed gendered. But not necessarily in the way the OP suggests. It’s not that men don’t shop, it’s just that the shopping has to be constructed as a battleground.

If the advertisement were directed at a woman, it would likely suggest something along the lines of finding something for everyone on her list, saving her time, and then she can shop for stuff for herself. Sad, yes, but marketing is aimed at the majority… who are likely actually described by the stereotype. The real problem is that people fall into acting like the stereotype because it is portrayed as the norm by such images (as well as other forms of advertisement… and pretty much most sitcoms…). It’s a vicious and self-reinforcing cycle of social conditioning and marketing.

So, in sum, I don’t think what’s interesting about this ad is the fact that it touches on a present-but-hidden social feeling; I think it’s more striking that this ad is perfectly in tune with what its potential customers are feeling and saying. That is what’s interesting to me. This is no phenomenon that is ignored by most of society (consider that there was an entire Christmas book/movie plot based around the concept, “Skipping Christmas”/”Christmas with the Cranks”), but it is certainly ignored by most advertisers. That’s what makes this resonate as different with me.

And maybe I’m ignorant, but I don’t think there’s a gender issue here (and I’m usually one to jump all over sexism in advertising). I think it’s just a guy they chose for the photo shoot. That’s all. And to be quite frank, I imagine that if it were a woman in the ad, there would be a discussion about how the burden of shopping always has to fall on women.