Sprint really is not fond of the proposed AT&T and T-mobile merger. This week they ran an ad in some papers and on political websites that was a takeoff on T-mobile’s recent ads. They feature an older shaggy businessman with a cigar wearing a pink dress like the one sported by the gal in the T-mobile ads. The man looks very similar to the one T-mobile used to depict AT&T in their ads mocking their rival before the merger was proposed. [More]
marketing
Why Is Coors Light Advertising During This Children's Song?
By 5.9.11
Reader Jonnie was looking for YouTube videos to help his son remember his multiplication tables. He found one for 8’s, but was taken aback by what he had to watch first before he could watch it. It was an ad for Coors Light beer. That is some pretty dumb media buying right there. [More]
What If You Actually Lived Inside IKEA?
By 5.9.11
Christian went on a trip to IKEA with his buddies and began to imagine, as many have upon seeing the different “sets” around the store recreating rooms in a house fully furnished by IKEA furniture, what would it be like if you actually lived inside the IKEA store? Since he’s a really good photographer, he and his pals then staged a series of delightful photos bringing this concept to life. Very fun way of bringing IKEA’s marketing metaphor to its literal conclusion. It also reminds me of this short sitcom about a family that lives in IKEA that came out last year. [More]
Aveda's Weird Relationship With An Amazonian Tribe
By 5.5.11
For 18 years, makeup company Aveda has tried to pursue a unique economic partnership with the Yawanawá Amazonian tribe. Aveda gave them startup money and the Yawanawá are supposed to grow and supply urukum, a spiky red fruit that Aveda pays them for and uses to color their wares. It’s a great story, and Aveda weaves it into its marketing messages to help sell its makeup as being “green,” “sustainable” and “conscious.” There’s just one problem. WSJ probed and found the Yawanawá aren’t very good at making it in large quantities — they delivered none 2008-2010 and only 64 kg this year — and the economic lifeline that was supposed to save their tribe and make it self-sufficient could actually be tearing it apart. [More]
Have 342 People Died From Storms Lately? Sears Can Help You Clean Up!
By 5.2.11
Devastating storms have ripped across the country in the past few weeks, leaving at least 342 dead and entire blocks and houses demolished. As a home appliance retailer, what’s your first thought? That’s right, targeted upsell. Several of our readers have sent in this email they got from Sears which says “Affected by the storm? Sears can help you clean up,” and then displays the wet vacs, chainsaws and generators you can buy. The 10% off Sears water extraction service could come in handy, but the email struck some of our readers as being in poor taste. [More]
Government Proposes New Guidelines For Marketing Food To Kids
By 4.28.11
Earlier today, an interagency working group consisting of folks from the Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, and the Dept. of Agriculture, issued a set of “proposed voluntary principles” it hopes the food industry will ultimately adopt in its marketing to the youth of America. [More]
Empire Carpet Man Passes Away
By 4.28.11
You know that animated little guy for Empire Carpets with the bushy white mustache? He was based on and voiced by a real person, Lynn Hauldren, who passed away this week at the age of 89. Farewell, friend. Spokesman for the brand for the past 40 years, and originally appearing in commercials in live action before being replaced by a cartoon version of himself, Hauldren occupies a special place in advertising history. And who could forget that jingle? Let us take a moment to remember his body of work: [More]
P&G Coupon Book Full Of Delightfully Stereotypical "Mom" Imagery, And Savings!
By 4.25.11
A packet of “mom”-centered P&G coupons landed in Post Punk Kitchen forum member raspberrycomplaint’s mailbox and she found the ad copy and images pretty amusing. She posted several of the pages along with her commentary, like the one of a wife feeding her husband snacks. “At the end of the day, I get supper on the table. My husband refuses to use utensils. He says that’s what I’m here for, and makes me hand feed him his supper, one bite at a time. I just feel so proud that I can be useful to him. That’s a woman’s job.” It’s all very facetious and snarky and worth a good chuckle, but it makes you wonder who comes up with this stuff. [More]
Switch To Old-School Safety Razors And Save $160 A Year
By 4.25.11
Like a drug dealer giving out free samples, Gillette has been getting men hooked on Fusion razors by handing out free Fusion razors. You go along and you think, mm, this is a pretty good shave, and eventually you need to buy replacement cartridges, and it turns out they cost $40! Reader Jim got sick of spending $250 a year on cartridges for a shave that wasn’t stellar so he decided to kick it like a grandpa and switch to old-school double-edged safety razors. Jim says the blades on these just cost pennies a piece and the shave is cleaner and closer. Here’s how he made the switch: [More]
McDonald's Canada Accepts Monopoly Money
By 4.14.11
Paying “in Monopoly money” may cease to be a pejorative after McDonald’s Canada started selling fast food in exchange for bills from the classic board game. [More]
Tajazzle Bedazzles Your Intimate Areas
By 4.14.11
This is an incredible infomercial for “Tajazzle,” a “3-step system of personal confidence” whose third step is a crystal tattoo that you place in an area “only your lover can find.” Everything from the product itself, to the cheesy actors super committed to being super sensuous, is hilarious. [More]
Maybe Staples Knows Something About This Safe That We Don't
By 4.13.11
Staples’ marketing reminder emails are very useful for some products that people buy frequently and regularly: say, printer ink or dry-erase markers. We’re not sure how sophisticated their marketing reminder software is, though, because they contacted Matthew to let him know that it’s time to buy a new fireproof safe. [More]
Revolt Over GoDaddy CEO's Elephant Kill Video Makes 20,433 Domains Flee, Rival Claims
By 4.8.11
Rival domain name registrar Namecheap says they’ve raised over $20,000 for an elephant charity and poached thousands of customers who switched 20,433 domain names from GoDaddy following an uproar over a video their CEO posted of himself killing a pachyderm. Bob Parsons is unapologetic, saying he did it to feed the hungry villagers and save their crops. But that’s just a moral fig leaf. In another video, Bob hunts and kills a leopard. I don’t think it ended up as steaks for hungry villagers. [More]
This Cigarette Ice Cream Truck Is Doing It Wrong
By 4.4.11
Pro tip: when you buy an old ice cream truck and turn it into a mobile cigarette dispensary, you should probably cover up all the old ads for Bombpops and Choco Tacos. Reader discounteggroll’s co-worker snapped this picture at a gas station on the NY-CT border in Greenwich, CT. (Perhaps the truck is parked on the CT side of the parking lot, to take advantage of CT’s lower cigarette tax?) If it doesn’t violate any regulations, like the Tobacco Control Act of 2009 which prohibits the sale, distribution, marketing and promotion of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to children under the age of 18, it’s in poor taste, even with the sign asking for ID. “One Big Vanilla ice cream sandwich, please.” “Sorry kid, we got Pall Malls.” [More]
GoDaddy CEO Shoots Elephant, Sparks Stampede Of Customers To Flee
By 3.31.11
The CEO of domain name registrar GoDaddy is facing an online furor after the video he posted of himself killing an elephant in Africa went viral. After the elephant dies and CEO Bob Parsons poses next to it, villagers from all around come out to strip and devour the carcass on the spot. Many of them are wearing day-glo orange GoDaddy caps. As these images play in the video, “Hells Bells” provides the soundtrack. Now a backlash movement has started for folks to switch their domain providers away from GoDaddy. [More]
It's Bacon Flavored Air!
By 3.31.11
If you find yourself skipping your kid’s birthday party and turning down intimacy time with your beloved to attend Denny’s Baconalias, you may need Bacon Air. It’s like Nicorette for bacon addicts. It’s a small inhaler of bacon-flavored air so you can get your porcine fix without those nasty side effects like cholesterol or heart attacks. And also like Nicorette it can simply be used for times when it’s not easy to smoke (bacon), like inside a New York bar, onboard transatlantic flights, or at the gym. Since launching this week it appears supplies are already sold out. Clearly this is a market whose needs had previously gone unmet. [More]
Pizza Hut Put Kibosh On The Amazing Salad Towers Of China
By 3.31.11
Our post last week about “How To Game The Salad Bar” reminded commenter power lurker of the Chinese way of playing the game at Pizza Hut. See, in America when you tell people their salad bar is limited to one plate, they shrug because no American eats salad. But in China in the mid to late 2000’s, they turned into a competition to see who can create the tallest and most elaborate salad tower. [More]
Man Buys 1 Powerade At Rite Aid, Gets 21 Inch Receipt
By 3.28.11
Josh bought a singular Powerade from his local Rite Aid. He handed over one dollar and thirty-six cents. In return, he received not only his Powerade, but a 21 inch-long receipt. [More]
