Turkey Day Nudges

I was grocery shopping at Town & Country earlier this month when I learned about the 'Turkey Day Incentive Program'.  It goes something like this: Spend $350 or more, and get a free Turkey for Thanksgiving, or spend $750 or more and get a free organic turkey.  That one simple word--free--seemed to dissolve all rational thought surrounding the offering.  My first thoughts were "oh spend $350 and get a free turkey? Hell yeah I can do that.  I'll just make sure to get all of my groceries here".  The thought of spending such an absurd amount of money to obtain a 'free' turkey(which is probably only worth about $30 bucks), never crossed my mind.  It wasn't until later that I realized what a subtle, and effective nudge this was.  Everyone I know seems to be yearning for their "free" turkey, and spending more and more at Town & Country-even on items they don't normally buy.  I find this shift in consumer behavior fascinating and terrifying at the same time.  Are we really that easy to manipulate?