If I Made a Commercial for Trader Joe's

A fan of the niche grocery chain Trader Joe's surreptitiously filmed the following "commercial" for the store:



I find this video fascinating. Not only does it show the control that consumers wield over brands, but it portrays Trader Joe's "flaws" in a honest yet affectionate manner, in a way that the company likely never would.

When I posted the link on my personal blog, a friend of mine -- and daily TJ's customer -- wrote me a lengthy email about how much she loved this "ad":

All of my favorite things are always GONE, never to be seen again. Oh how I miss you, "Middle East Feast" and that turkey rollup sandwich, whose clever name now escapes me.

For niche brands like Trader Joe's, customers love them, warts and all, and this video playfully pokes fun at everyone involved.

I haven't read an official response to the ad from TJ's, although I noticed that the Trader Joe's Twitter account encourages watching the video by linking to it directly. Their implicit endorsement and 53,000+ views of the video make this a highly intriguing "campaign."

Now if only we could get a Trader Joe's in Evanston...

-- Colleen Maley