The day before I wrote this editorial, I attended the Diamond Trading Company's press briefing on its holiday advertising plans (see UpFront, page 26). I was impressed with what the team at J. Walter Thompson, the DTC's ad agency, had to say.
For starters, the DTC team holds the same belief that we at JCK do—that just when you think you can't afford to advertise is the time you most need to advertise. And rarely has it been as true as it is this year. This is one of the most challenging Christmas seasons anyone can remember in a long time. As if economics and war weren't enough, this is also one of those years when Thanksgiving falls a mere three weeks before Christmas, and Hanukkah comes early. Sure, some super-organized people have all their holiday shopping done by the middle of October (probably the same people who alphabetize their grocery lists), but there are a lot of people w