Ads spin tough times into a 'value' purchase

Shoppers also respond well to ads about the environment, Sheldon said. Surveys that his agency conducted around the country found that people were trending from living in the moment to saving for the future, from ostentation to conservation, from quantity to quality. Consumers don't want to buy things that they'll have to throw out in a year or two, he said. They want things that will last, both to save money and to save the environment.

That's why an ad for Campbell's condensed soup touts the fact that leaving the water out of soup saves shipping costs and resources, and is better for the environment, he said.

"It's not always the cheapest product; it's the product I believe is going to last and will give me greater value over the long term," said Rob Feakins, president and chief creative officer of Publicis New York. A commercial his agency created for Maytag tried to emphasize craftsmanship by showing a monster truck driving over a row of washing machines.

Even luxury brands are promoting value. The current ads for BMW's dealer group, for example, focus less on performance and prestige and more on safety and savings. The campaign reminds potential buyers that BMW offers a four-year no-cost maintenance plan.

"The message we feel is most in line with the times is reminding people about our value-for-money equation," said Shawn Ticehurt, BMW North America's marketing and events communications manager.

Madison Avenue is sure to shift even more heavily in this direction because it takes weeks or months to produce a television ad and get it on the air. Some current ads hark back to days when value was only a small part of the equation.

And some brands, such as Mercedes-Benz, aren't changing anything despite the state of the economy. The carmaker is "staying the course" because sales are up, spokeswoman Donna Boland said.

But economy-focused ads will probably become even more prevalent as advertising agencies have more time to produce commercials that let companies put "their most economical face forward," said Kelly O'Keefe, executive education director at VCU Brandcenter, the advertising school at Virginia Commonwealth University.

People need food, clothing and cellphones even in a down economy, said Caralene Robinson, director of marketing services at prepaid cellphone company Boost Mobile. It launched a campaign Oct. 27 that shows an actor playing George Washington talking about the value of the dollar and how it relates to Boost's dollar-a-day chat plan.

"They still have to eat, they still have to talk on the phone," Robinson said. "They're looking for value in all that they do."

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alana.semuels@latimes.com