Best Buy's holiday gift cards now double as speakers, still a lazy present

Not to be outdone by Target's camera gift card gimmickry -- or perhaps to be exactly outdone -- Best Buy is offering gift cards this year with built-in speakers and a 3.5mm hookup. This is ostensibly to rock some tinny tunes while pondering how best to spend a $50 card on a $4,000 home theater system -- there's an alternative, highly discouraged usage after the break. What's absolutely clear here is the incredible margins these retailers enjoy on gift card purchases, and while we'd love to stick it to the man and buy real presents for our loved ones, we're probably looking at another mad dash on [respective holiday] Eve to gather up an assortment of cards to be accompanied by misattributed scribbles and perhaps a bow. We can't wait!

[Thanks, Oscar]

2008 Best Buy Holiday Gift Card with BUILT-IN SPEAKER By Best Buy
View in HD Download 720p Version Visit Best Buy's ExposureRoom Videos Page

[holycow @ Nov 11th 2008 9:40AM]

What's up with everyone making fancy gift cards?

[holycow @ Nov 11th 2008 9:42AM]

oh and what a lousy commercial!

[Kamokazi @ Nov 11th 2008 9:47AM]

Because gift cards:

A) Are an interest-free loan to the company (to a business, this is a big deal...they can earn interest off your money in their bank).
B) Sometimes do not get used for a while and incur inactivity fees.
C) Sometimes do not get used at all.
D) Are typically a guarantee of gross sales higher than the card value itself.

One of the talk radio shows I listen (I'm not the only 25-year old who listens to talk radio, right?) to is about financial stuff, consumer awareness, etc. He has a 'cash' gift card you can fill out and give to people in lieu of a store gift card. It explains why this 'considerate' person gave you cash instead of a gift card, and how it was more thoughtful, etc.

http://clarkhoward.com/liveweb/shownotes/2007/11/15/12897/

You can claim it's still laziness, but really, I don't trust a single one of my relatives to buy me anything I would want.

[Jason @ Nov 11th 2008 9:52AM]

I don't think he was asking why gift cards exist, but rather why these are so fancy.

[Su @ Nov 11th 2008 9:59AM]

I always tell everyone to give me straight cash instead of gift cards. I don't know why people think locking you into a particular store is a good idea to begin with. Most of the time they dont even buy them discounted from the card price.

[James @ Nov 11th 2008 10:29AM]

And gift cards have a special bonus. If the company you get them from goes bankrupt, you lose the money! Awesome!

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/10/gift_cards/

[Patrick @ Nov 11th 2008 11:05AM]

ahaha I'm 20 and I listen to Clark Howard

[feffrey @ Nov 11th 2008 11:06AM]

@ Kamokazi
Your not the only one who listens to Talk Radio. Since I was in high school I started listening to Am stations for Talk Radio.

[tuaamin13 @ Nov 11th 2008 11:31AM]

I'm also 20 and listen to clark howard. Actually I listened to him more a year ago (when I was 19), when I could just sit at my desk at work and tune in to 750 WSB online.

[THizzle7XU @ Nov 11th 2008 12:11PM]

So do these cards cost more than the actual value of the card to pay for the speaker? That would be fantastic. Yay gimmicks!

[jim hedger @ Nov 11th 2008 1:22PM]

i've listened to Rush Limbaugh through all my formative years, and now i'm the product my environment. Any of you pinko qu*$rs wanna quarrel about that? Talk radio is great, for those who "get it," who are smarter than all the rest. ;)

[o29 @ Nov 11th 2008 4:53PM]

@jim hedger

"Rush Limbaugh" and "smart" certainly do not belong in the same sentence. Queers though? Yeah, that fits.

[absinthe party @ Nov 11th 2008 9:41AM]

Oh, man... that gift card looks so flippin' sweet. Look how much fun they're having!

[Jared @ Nov 11th 2008 9:51AM]

Is that an ipod mini? As with everything Best Buy is just a little bit behind the times...

[allenvanhellen @ Nov 11th 2008 9:51AM]

Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Whhhhyyyyyyyy?!?!?!?!?!?!

[absinthe party @ Nov 11th 2008 9:52AM]

Because we all need an excuse to dress up like a cowboy every once and a while?

[oddish2211 @ Nov 11th 2008 9:54AM]

i want one too, i live in a grey world also

[shmengie @ Nov 11th 2008 10:01AM]

thx for putting up a video with no controls.

[Ayman @ Nov 11th 2008 10:19AM]

im guessing the gift card has no volume control either... so you would hear that music the whole time :O

[joe23521 @ Nov 11th 2008 12:09PM]

Worst part about that was not knowing how much longer that dreadful video was going to be.

[finnith @ Nov 11th 2008 5:42PM]

If you press the space button (click on the video first), it will pause it.

[Branden @ Nov 11th 2008 10:05AM]

Kamokazi is spot on. I'd also add the reason they are attaching a speaker to the card is probably to distract people in what it really is meant for. I mean you may not forget but are you really going to want to turn in your mini bad ass speaker that you've put to good use on something stupid? I think gift cards are borderline scammy. Which is somewhat funny because I just got a $25 itunes gift card the other day for my birthday. I better start tearing up the app store. I guess I won't feel so bad seeing how 70% of the card will support developers.

[adam.plante @ Nov 11th 2008 11:07AM]

why would they turn in the card? I have never heard of a company that wont let you keep empty gift cards.

[scott @ Nov 11th 2008 10:17AM]

I actually thought the video was pretty funny.

[Jason @ Nov 11th 2008 10:19AM]

Do normal people throw Halloween parties for Christmas?

[AnyKey @ Nov 11th 2008 1:13PM]

Is a gift card with a build-in speaker normal?

[NHAnimator @ Nov 11th 2008 10:22AM]

Credit to Engadget: Gift cards really are the epitome of laziness. If you are really giving someone a gift because of the true meaning of gift-giving, then 12 months should be enough time to come up with something a little more thoughtful.

[takamaru @ Nov 11th 2008 10:24AM]

Sorry that was the most horribly awesome thing i have ever seen. It was the music that sold it.

[Matt @ Nov 11th 2008 11:54AM]

I think you mean "awesomely horrible"

[Nikropht @ Nov 11th 2008 10:24AM]

This just proves how lame WorstBuy is.

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 11th 2008 10:27AM]

hahaha! i remember when phanbouy fan made fun of phanbouy for saying WorstBuy. isn't that sarcastically clever of him?

[deyanimay @ Nov 11th 2008 12:06PM]

wow get a life.

[Jeff @ Nov 11th 2008 10:30AM]

Dead presidents make the best gift cards.

[bill cant fart @ Nov 11th 2008 10:45AM]

No, 40 lbs of weasels make the best gift cards.

[merp @ Nov 11th 2008 5:38PM]

Grandparents make the best gift cards.

[yode @ Nov 11th 2008 11:28PM]

I'm out for dead presidents to represent me.

[JR @ Nov 11th 2008 10:37AM]

I think the second half of that commercial exists simply to prove there is something in the universe more horrifying than the first half.

[Brazell @ Nov 11th 2008 10:37AM]

Now, if it came with music built in ... which wouldn't be anymore difficult to make. That'd be a lot cooler.

[y3k.nik @ Nov 11th 2008 10:49AM]

After seeing that video... ummm... WTF?!?

[Gabe @ Nov 11th 2008 10:59AM]

Citizens should rise up to ban horrible commercials like this one.

[dirtybacon @ Nov 11th 2008 11:07AM]

Awesome! Buy a Best Buy gift card, get exclusive access to a gay rave! neat!

[Kizul Emeraldfire @ Nov 11th 2008 11:21AM]

"Awesome! Buy a Best Buy gift card, get exclusive access to a gay rave! Fabulous!"

Fixed.

[Joshua Meadows @ Nov 11th 2008 11:24AM]

Sir, I am gay, and on behalf of the rest of the gays, we want no part in that commercial. Good. Day. Sir.

[Christopher Wilson @ Nov 11th 2008 1:15PM]

I want the guy in the cowboy hat, but otherwise yeah us gays don't want that commercial.

[Ninbrendo @ Nov 11th 2008 1:21PM]

If those people are gay, then I'd like to return my toaster oven.

[REFuZ @ Nov 11th 2008 11:14AM]

Crappy homemade dance video - kind of ok.
Crappy big box store attempt at making a crappy homemade dance video - very not ok.
Those responsible for the lack of controls on that video - first against the wall when the revolution comes.

[bill cant fart @ Nov 11th 2008 11:23AM]

I can't stop watching it!!

(help!)

[joe23521 @ Nov 11th 2008 12:14PM]

I suspect it is due to the lack of a stop button?

[Jeff @ Nov 11th 2008 2:18PM]

ITS A TRAP!

[yeah-i said it... @ Nov 11th 2008 11:32AM]

Can you link giftcards together and come up with a massive surround sound 'system' made up of multiple giftcards? Then it would be the awesomest Hallow-istmas party ever!!!!