At this point, it's common knowledge that Radio Shack is dead. The once-giant technology retailer is shutting its doors and has filed for bankruptcy.
If anything, it's proof of how quickly companies must adapt to changing times: stores like Best Buy have dominated because they've been able to stay ahead of the game, whereas Radio Shack always felt like it was stuck in the past...which is ironic, given that the store's ad during last year's Super Bowl was about being stuck in the past.
The campaign was supposed to kick off a new era for Radio Shack - instead, it just made the end that much more tragic.
The thing is, it's a great commercial. It's full of references to classic '80s pop culture, with appearances from Hulk Hogan, Alf, Jason Voorhees and more - it's fun to watch, plain and simple. Of course, company-wide changes and updates are far easier said than done. It's easy to make a commercial, but to go through with all of the changes and reinvigorate a customer base is an entirely different story.
It obviously didn't work: sales continued to plummet as the year went on, and eventually, Radio Shack landed where it is now - in the grave.
It's a shame, but it's easy to see why it happened: Radio Shack simply couldn't keep up with mega-stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart. In today's retail space, there's really no room for a second-place technology retailer; there are just too many other options, and with Radio Shack's notoriously high prices, it was really just a matter of time.
Even so, the ad is almost painful to watch now - if only Radio Shack could have seen how badly things would get.
