• The New York Times, Monday, January 28, 2008 11:45 AM

Since September, Wal-Mart Stores has built its advertising approach upon the tagline "Save money. Live better." Wal-Mart CMO Stephen Quinn says that the company is no more prescient than economic gurus, but it saw the pressure that rising gas process was putting on its core customers last spring and reacted accordingly.

Many companies have followed Wal-Mart's lead, with campaigns speaking as if a recession were already under way. A campaign for Sammies, a new sandwich line at Quiznos, stresses the low price as much as the low calorie count. "Uncertain times call for a very certain rate," assert ads for North Fork Bank that offer a seven-month CD at 4.25%. Nissan is pitching the fuel economy of its 2008 Altima sedan, rather than style or performance.

The willingness of Madison Avenue to act as if a recession is under way may seem confusing, because advertisers usually reduce their spending during downturns. Over all, ad outlays have fallen in previous recessions -- 6.5% in 2001 compared with 2000 and 1.2% in 1991 compared with 1990.

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