Credit where credit is due... Walmart sticking it to Trump

[hlthe2b]

(mandatory disclaimer: I've been pretty much a life-long antagonist towards Walmart, but credit where credit is due. First their CEO drops off Trump's advisory group and now, the ad featuring the much beloved Youngblood's song "Get Together" from the late Vietnam era)


‘Many Chairs. One Table.’: New Walmart Ad Weighs In On Racial Controversy In Aftermath of Charlottesville Unrest

"

Everyone gets a seat at the table in a new Walmart ad celebrating togetherness among people of various racial, ethnic and geographic backgrounds.

The 60-second aptly dubbed “Many Tables. One Chair.” ad is a recreation of Coca-Cola’s iconic “Hilltop” ad from 1971, according to marketing and media news site Advertising Age. The commercial’s warm message comes amid racial controversy stemming from the recent deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., and President Donald Trump’s tepid response in the aftermath.
--snip--
The commercial depicts racially and ethnically diverse individuals from across the country packing, carrying or wheeling their chairs to a large dinner table in the middle of an open field while The Youngblood’s “Get Together” plays in the background.
http://atlantablackstar.com/2017/08/24/many-chairs-one-table-new-walmart-ad-weighs-racial-controversy-aftermath-charlottesville-unrest/

[Squinch]

1. Very nice. This issue gives us some very strange bedfellows but I'll take it.

Nazis, it seems, scare most people. That's good to know.

[Willie Pep]

2. Few companies want to be associated with racism and neo-fascism.

When you have a diverse consumer base you are going to try to promote an image of diversity and togetherness. Of course, I am not denying that Walmart executives have real principled, ideological reasons for opposing the far right, but there is also the consumer public relations element at work here too, much like when some companies all of a sudden jumped on the gay marriage bandwagon when it looked like public opinion was moving toward acceptance of that policy.

[hlthe2b]

3. True, but they could have simply left it at a statement following the resignation from Trump's board

but chose to create an ad campaign to highlight it. Yes, it is good business, but it also sticks a finger in Trump's ugly face. So, self-serving or not, I give them credit.

And, I might add that they do risk offending a significant segment of their customer base with this ad in some areas, given the obvious response to Trump.

[dalton99a]

4. A lot of nonwhite people work and shop at Walmart

so it's a matter of self-interest as well

[hlthe2b]

5. As I said, there is self-interest involved... still I don't see a lot of others taking such a public

stand that moves beyond the mere symbolic act of leaving a commission--where their commercial interests are at stake.

[HAB911]

6. I'll take the cynical view

Walmartians would sell their soul to the devil for a dollar. In fact, they did, for a/many seats on the USSC


and that doesn't even get into their use of public resources for private gain
http://www.tampabay.com/projects/2016/public-safety/walmart-police/

[hlthe2b]

7. I already made my disclaimer, so I'll leave it at that.

[HAB911]

8. Oh, no argument from me

just my opinion about the Walton family

[ProfessorPlum]

9. This illustrates exactly what I've never understood about big companies embracing

fascist policies.

We can either have

peace, commerce, a huge multi-racial and diverse customer base where everyone's money is green and the power of capitalism and the hope for peace lets big companies create "gardens" - happy customer bases that can be harvested of their money in exchange for goods and services

OR

Capitalist iron fists in velvet gloves crushing minorities, rebellion, upheaval, terrorism, fear, underground economies, our consumer way of life being squeezed out of existence.

but we can't have BOTH.

[Hortensis]

10. Good time to remember Walmart was a Katrina first responder.

I'm hardly an admirer of the Walden family's empire, but as said, credit where credit is due.

Washington Post:

"At 8 a.m. on Wednesday, as New Orleans filled with water, Wal-Mart chief executive H. Lee Scott Jr. called an emergency meeting of his top lieutenants and warned them he did not want a "measured response" to the hurricane.

"I want us to respond in a way appropriate to our size and the impact we can have," he said, according to an executive who attended the meeting. At the time, Wal-Mart had pledged $2 million to the relief efforts. "Should it be $10 million?" Scott asked.

Over the next few days, Wal-Mart's response to Katrina ... an unrivaled $20 million in cash donations, 1,500 truckloads of free merchandise, food for 100,000 meals and the promise of a job for every one of its displaced workers ... a model for logistical efficiency and nimble disaster planning, which have allowed it to quickly deliver staples such as water, fuel and toilet paper to thousands of evacuees.

In Brookhaven, Miss., for example, where Wal-Mart operates a vast distribution center, the company had 45 trucks full of goods loaded and ready for delivery before Katrina made landfall. To keep operating near capacity, Wal-Mart secured a special line at a nearby gas station to ensure that its employees could make it to work.

[Phoenix61]

16. I did not know that... Pretty amazing as they didn't have to do anything. nt

[renate]

40. I love finding out that my negative opinions are wrong

Not to let this erase all the terrible effects Wal-Mart has had on small local businesses, or the way they underpay their workers and let social programs pick up the slack. But I hadn't known about one single positive thing they'd ever done, and in just a couple of minutes I found out two. That cheers me.

[Hortensis]

41. Exactly the same here, Renate. :)

[DK504]

11. As much as the Waltons come through after disasters

they still are anti-labor and refuse to allow their employees a full time job or health in surance. How many more martinis do the Waltons need?

[dalton99a]

12. Maybe more paintings for the Crystal Bridges Museum

so they will be called great friends of the humanities

[Grammy23]

13. So Wal-Mart is damned if they do---damned if they don't.

This ad won't move either side to a place where we can sit down together to address the problems we face as a society. The simple truth is contained in the message of that ad. We need one another to have a better world. If we attack, belittle and blame Wal-Mart (and other entities we see as the enemy) how can we expect them to be willing to discuss our issues and problems? If they will be cursed and criticized no matter what they do, would we expect them to try to help in any way?

An ad like this won't instantly change hearts and minds. But it is a place to start. Why not accept it at face value as an offer by Wal-Mart to come together and work together? Standing across from each other screaming and accusing each other of evil intent is not working and never will work. So let's try being civil and sharing in the opportunity to work side by side.

I have on my asbestos undies today, so flame away. I can take it.

[MarianJack]

14. Not a Walmart fan, but wow,...

...just WOW!

PEACE!

[dawg]

15. Walmart isn't the monster it's sometimes made out to be.

Yes they are anti-union. Almost religiously so.

But this new CEO raised wages and invested in his people almost as soon as he assumed power. Walmart puts pressure on the Arkansas government not to go full-on anti-gay like Mike Pence did in Indiana. And there are other things they have done that have shown them to occasionally have a conscience.

They aren't exactly UNICEF. But they are no worse than Home Depot, Amazon, Microsoft, or any of the other corporate monsters out there.

[LakeArenal]

17. In some rural communities

we're happy there is a Walmart.

The real problem I have with Walmart, is every time I am there, the employees are complaining about it. No one seems all that happy.

Contrast that with employees at Costco (when I can drive 50 miles to one) is quite different...

[lillypaddle]

20. Really?

I shop there all the time. I have never seen a gaggle of employees standing around, much less bad-mouthing Walmart.

[LakeArenal]

22. Oh yes

I've waited at check out while they complain about being on break, what the schedules are, who didn't do whatever.

Don't get me wrong. I see this as a failing in management not the employees. The "associates". Are always pleasant and nice to me.

[lillypaddle]

23. Gotcha

Yeah, I see that at Kroger all the time, too. Pretty much everywhere. Management's fault for not teaching employees not to do that in front of customers. But they should have more sense.

[moda253]

39. Saw this exact same thing the other night.

ha! seriously the exact same thing. And I was standing there clearly looking like I needed some assistance but nobody bothered to ask me if I needed any. Theyn were too engrossed in their discussion about getting out of there.

[IronLionZion]

18. Plenty of minorities and lower income people shop and work at Wal-Mart

of all ethnic backgrounds and immigration statuses. Racist notions of trying white wash jobs would see a lot of Trumpsters lose their local Wal-Mart, which may often be the only store of its type in many rural areas.

[iluvtennis]

32. In the middle income demographic, but I shop at Wal-mart - it's called having kids...

...and Walmart has the deals to help me cloth them, furnish their rooms, get electronics, etc.

[lillypaddle]

19. A lot of white people shop there, too

I'm 70 and only live on Social Security. Walmart is a godsend for people like me. Sometimes you have to pick existing over politics. Nice that some can afford to shop elsewhere.

[Hekate]

35. Truth

We just moved to a new town in a new county and my politics are about to be tested, I guess. I like Trader Joe's and Costco -- but here, TJ's shares a shopping center with WalMart (literally next to each other) and Costco is an uncomfortable freeway drive to an extremely crowded center. My BIL and SIL swear by Winco and Walmart -- we'll see. Meanwhile, I don't judge the customers who have to check their wallets before shopping. Ever.

[lillypaddle]

45. I use Walmart

for kids' clothes (granddaughter is 5), sweats, toys, misc. household items (recently bought an electric can opener for $6.88), and a few other things.

Enjoy your new town and home!

[Jamaal510]

43. +1

[Sunlei]

21. I've used walmarts new 2 day delivery, unlike prime-Amazon- it's free delivery. Local people

made the delivery of 150 lbs of dog food & garden supplies. Walmart hires locals, a lot of them.

[lillypaddle]

24. I use their pick up

Now you can get a discount for ordering online & picking up.

[IronLionZion]

34. Largest employer in the US by a large margin

1.3 million US employees and almost a million outside the US.

[democrank]

25. Heartwarming ad

Thank you, Walmart

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. In the short run I will partner up with the devil, if it takes power from the Nazi.

And nobody I know despises Walmart like I do, so I see your point.

We will take any and all help we can get while we are in a state of emergency, i.e. ruled by a fascist dictator.

[CottonBear]

29. Sort of like WWII: the US & GB were allies w/ Russia

against the Nazis.

[Eliot Rosewater]

30. Exactly.

Now, it is Russia who we need to team up against.

Russia or the KGB absolutely own Trump.

[KG]

27. piss on walmart anyway.

[onetexan]

28. Love it!

Kudos to Walmart's CEO for his message of diversity and acceptance.

[eissa]

31. I was watching that ad on tv and thought, "wow, nice!"

Imagine my surprise when WalMart popped up at the end. But, yeah, still nice.

[volstork]

33. Won't get me to shop there,

but glad to see this.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

36. An ad doesn't erase their abhorrent business practices or how they treat workers.

But people have short memories, and want heroes. They're not "sticking it to Trump." They're carefully observing public sentiment and trying to harness it, like all corporations do.

[Hekate]

37. Thank you for this, hlthe2b. Praise where praise is due...

Nasty comments not applicable at this time.

[Doreen]

38. That is nice for them to do something nice.

I still do not like them at all. I do shop there once a month though. The only thing I buy is cat litter because I like it that something from Walmart is getting shit on. I and friends have had experiences from working for them. They are absolutely horrible to their "associates." The Walmart I worked at in my town will not help the local people but helps people far away. Sucks it will not support the people who support it. I do the rest of my shopping at local businesses, Safeway, and Costco. It is more expensive but I refuse to support them and their nasty ways. I do have to drive half an hour to get to Costco but it is better than Walmart. The Walmart here not only does not pay living wages they do not hire full time and they schedule you so there is no way you can have another job to make ends meet. They in fact discourage having another job. Walmart is one of the biggest corporations that encourage their employees to get government assistance. When I got a job there with all of the paperwork they gave you there was a list of places and numbers where you could get assistance to actually survive. Basically from the first day they are bluntly saying fuck you. They are like trump and his spawn, as they own sweat shop factories and those people are treated much much worse than the "associates" here in the states. Oh, by the way, the owners supported trump in his campaign. No, I do not have a link for that...sorry but I read that in several places during the campaign.

[hunter]

42. Living wage legislation and aggressive labor regulation would make WalMart much more tolerable.

Other than that, WalMart knows who their customers are. In our community half the WalMart customers are speaking Spanish. If you want a job there it helps to be bilingual.

Our local WalMart has no problem hiring overtly LGBT people, people with elaborate tattoos, and people with physical and mental impairments. I see that as a positive thing, but I suspect the WalMarts in less cosmopolitan places are not like that.

So far as encountering uncheerful employees in our local market ecosystem, those are at Kmart.

[Jim Lane]

44. So it's Walmart giving me a lump in my throat

What's next, dogs and cats living together? Trump sending out a sensible tweet?

[colsohlibgal]

46. Now If They Would Just Treat Their Employees Like Costco Does

They could pay a living wage with solid benefits and the owners would still be rich, just not as rich as they are now being grinches.

This is a nice statement though.

[cwydro]

47. Thanks for posting this.

K and r.