Why this Mom Won’t Be Buying at Kmart for Back to School

Let me start off by saying I consider myself a Kmart mom.  I am more likely to buy my kids clothing from Kmart, Walmart or Target rather than one of the more pricier retail chains because I do what is best for my budget.  However, I have an issue with K-Mart’s new back to school campaign. Have you see the commercials? If not, here’s a link to one of them. Take a quick gander.

One of the biggest challenges facing kids in inner city schools is the pressure to have on the latest clothes, tennis shoes, jewelry or the trendiest hairstyles. So, I get what K-Mart is trying to do with this campaign. They are trying to make their brand the brand all the cool kids are wearing. There’s really nothing wrong with that, but do we have to be insulted in the process?

If you watch, you'll notice the little girl in the lead is  talented, although I cannot understand a word she is saying, but that’s a whole other issue.  The little white girl in the background is defying all kinds of stereotypes about white people’s inability  to dance because she is clearly on beat. With that said, it made me wonder, is this what K-Mart thinks of me? That as long as they have cute little girls ditty bopping down the hallways to a nice beat - without books or backpacks the first -  in a BACK-TO-SCHOOL commercial, I’ll run to their stores and buy merchandise?

Not so fast. While there is a lot going on in this commerical, learning doesn't appear to be one of them. I firmly believe the imagery and tone of the commercial perpetuates the degenerative mindset at work in some parts of the urban community when it comes to education. This is the mindset that believes school is essentially a fashion show where kids go to party and hang out with friends. We have to help our kids to realize that school is a place you go to learn. If you get a chance  to look fly in the process, well have at it.

Let’s be clear: I don’t think K-mart is being nefarious. At most, I think they were being tone deaf and had no inkling of how the commercial might be perceived by those of us fighting the achievement gap battle everyday.  I am not asking anyone to boycott Kmart and I am not asking anyone to sign a petition. I am simply asking us to think about the ways in which we allow some corporations to pull in our hard earned dollars without giving thought to the overall impact their marketing imagery may have our communities.

It’s not a bad marketing strategy and I’m sure Kmart’s quarterly revenue will see an uptick as a result of the campaign. Kmart is not responsible for the achievement gap in our schools. Nor is their commercial the reason there are lackadaisical attitudes about education in some urban families and communities. However, I can say this for sure: the behaviors and imagery propagated in their current back to school commercial certainly are not helping.

Sorry Kmart, but I’ll have to sit this one out.