hard eight

n. in holiday sales-making industries, the last eight weeks of the year. Subjects: English, Advertising, Business, Jargon

2 Comments | Cites | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Citations: 1997 Bruce Horovitz USA Today (Dec. 18) “Cashing in on kids Retailers in search of customers for life”: Ad industry executives refer to these last eight weeks of the year the “Hard Eight” because toy makers and others fight so hard for the key Saturday morning time slots. 2000 Wayne Friedman Advertising Age (2) (Oct. 30) “Kids TV market sees unexpected 4th quarter jump” vol. 71, no. 45,: Many kids programming networks are virtually sold out for the crucial holiday season, in particular for what is known as the “hard eight,” the eight weeks leading up to Christmas. “For fourth quarter, we are definitely sold out,” said Barbara Bekkedahl, exec VP-advertising sales for Fox Family Worldwide. 2006 Bruce Horovitz USA Today (Nov. 21) “Six strategies marketers use to get kids to want stuff bad”: The toy industry calls the eight weeks leading up to Christmas the “hard eight.” That’s when prices jump for slots on kids shows and when toy ads replace cereal ads.

Posted 30 Nov 06 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

Doesn’t a hard eight also mean dice that add up to eight with a three and a five, instead of two fours? Or is it the other way around? Thank you.
Best regards,
Brad David

by braddavid 06 Dec 06, 1142 GMT

Hard eight in craps is double 4’s. You get numbers the “Hard way” in craps when there is exactly one way for the dice to land to give it to you. Hard 6, Hard 8, etc. The easy six is 4 and 2 or 5 and 1 or the easy eight is 5 and 3 or 2 and 6, and so on. Though there is the “Hard Two” it has other more significant names (craps or snake eyes depending on when it is rolled)

by Convictus 17 Jan 07, 1054 GMT