‘Change the name, change the game.’ That’s the concept behind a new campaign by creative agency Wolf BKK for Thailand retailer Central Department Store’s year-end ‘Guilty-Free Festival’.

The agency explains: “The best shopping therapy shouldn’t let you feel guilty afterwards, whether you already have the similar items at home or not, because it is meant to reduce stress and stimulate happiness.”

So, use semantics to trick yourself. Just rename the product you feel guilty about buying and, like magic, you’re buying something you’ve never bought before. Totally justifiable! 

Ad Nut loves that the alternate names, while hilarious, are not extremely outlandish or silly. In fact, many of them are so sensible that they seem like they could actually be the names of the things: ‘Aqua suit’ makes a lot more sense than ‘bathing suit’, doesn’t it?

This is a smart choice that elevates the whole campaign to brilliance, in Ad Nut’s opinion. Making the names too weird would have placed the emphasis on the silly names, rather than on the recognisable human foible at play. Instead, the names are just different enough to reduce the cognitive dissonance of a hypothetical guilty shopper. That might help you recognise your own weird thought processes when it comes to rationalising your own purchases. Then you’ll laugh at yourself. But maybe you’ll also stop feeling reluctant about buying some new cheek pigment, or that fancy dust eater you’ve had your eye on.

Now if you’ll excuse Ad Nut, Ad Nut is off to shop for a tail sprucer.

CREDITS

Brand: Central Department Store
Agency: Wolf BKK, Thailand
Chief Creative Officer: Torsak Chuenprapar
Creative Director: Kanit Mingmuang
Creative Group Head: Pawares Vessukanmanukul
Art Director: Onanong Klaysuban
Copywriter: Chananchida Pattarakiatikun, Pandarie Somjit
Managing Director: Phannika Vongsayan
Business Director: Chonlatid Saenghiran
Account Manager: Thossaporn Kaewnurachadasorn
Agency Producer: Chanapat Srabua
Production Company: Factory01
Director: Wuttisak Anankaporn