Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Wednesday it is rolling out a new advertising campaign with the slogan “Save Money. Live Better,” replacing “Always low prices.”
The world’s largest retailer said its first new so-called ad tagline in 19 years comes as Wal-Mart is incorporating more of an emotional tone into its advertising.
Its back-to-school ads showed actors posing as customers, talking about how Wal-Mart helped them save money amid high gasoline prices, a contrast to its previous ads showing a smiley face character zooming around stores, slashing prices.
Wal-Mart said it will begin running TV ads on Wednesday illustrating “how saving money on the little things adds up and helps families live better.”
The retailer also said new research it commissioned from Global Insight showed that as of 2006, the retailer saved American families $2,500 each year, up 7.3 percent from $2,329 in 2004.
Global Insight said in its study that the expansion of Wal-Mart from 1985 to 2006 lead to a 3.0 percent decline in overall consumer prices for all items, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, which includes prices for goods and services.
The research firm said its updated study concluded that the reduction in price levels due to Wal-Mart’s presence translated into savings for consumers of $287 billion in 2006, which is $957 per person or $2,500 per household.