'Mall Hauls' as Campaigns Don't Carry Much Weight

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	July 26, 2010

'Mall Hauls' as Campaigns Don't Carry Much Weight
By: Briskman Stanfield

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Is neurotic social exhibitionism the next advertising frontier?

As trends come and go, bloggers beware: You soon could become history.

"Haul" vlogs (video logs) have became popular as girls record their recent mall purchases at home and post the videos on various social outlets.

USA Today reported over 59,000 hauls have been added to YouTube, and $50 billion is expected to be spent on back-to-school goods.

While Madonna's daughter, Lourdes, blogs to fuel her mom's Material Girl line for Macy’s, JCPenney decided to hype their latest campaign in a different fashion: haul vlogs.

In their recent back-to-school campaign, JCPenney gave six haulers two $500 gift cards for shopping at the retail department store and posting videos of their purchases. The use of inappropriate language was the only rule the girls had to follow; the videos were added to the chain’s Web site and Facebook page.

“Hauls is the next evolution,” said Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for JCPenney. “They’re starting to replace bloggers."

How hard is it for a girl to shop, then play show-and-tell? While no one is forced to watch, it's narcissism and doesn't compare to the insights the best blogs have to offer.

Mandi Mankvitz, social media director at Sphere Trending, believes hauls are "the buzz-worthy story of 2010." However, because haulers are paid, she cautions it "will become just as mistrustful as traditional advertising."

Like TV, advertising has reached the point where anyone can be a star. It almost makes one long for the good old days of simply watching the Kardashian sisters.

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