Kmart's 'Ship My Pants' Ad Sequel Promises 'Big Gas Savings'

Last month Kmart (SHLD) scored a big viral hit with its naughty-sounding "Ship My Pants" ad. Now it's out with another ad that promises some big gas savings.

The joke, of course, is the same (they're swearing, but not really!), and once again the execution is pitch-perfect. We especially enjoyed the end, when bystanders marvel at a "big gas truck" and a "big gas man" -- only for the ad to reveal a big fuel tanker driven by a freakishly tall man.

And as with the last ad, this one gets its message across nicely: That you can save 30 cents per gallon at select gas stations by becoming a member of Shop Your Way Rewards, Sears' (SHLD) and Kmart's free rewards program. That's a fantastic deal, especially as gas prices tick upwards ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. Still, the deal comes with a big-gas caveat: You can only get the discount if you spend $50 or more at Kmart. Once you've done so you'll get a coupon, which can only be applied at BP (BP) or Speedway (MPC) stations.

Sponsored Links

The fine print on the deal goes on to note that you're limited to a single fill-up, and there's a limit of 20 gallons at BP and 15 gallons at Speedway. And if you're using it at Speedway, note that you have to be a Speedway Rewards member to get the discount.

In any case, the new ad is great, though it might not be the runaway success that "Ship My Pants" was. That ad has racked up more than 17 million views on YouTube, an incredible number for a company that doesn't have a tradition of churning out viral content. Still, if the new commercial gets even a reasonable fraction of those views, it will still be a big-gas success for Kmart's marketing department.

Here's the old ad, in case you'd forgotten. Which do you think is better?

Matt Brownell is the consumer and retail reporter for DailyFinance. You can reach him at Matt.Brownell@teamaol.com, and follow him on Twitter at @Brownellorama.