Me me me me, that’s what product development and marketing is all about these days. Give people individual experiences, let them customize, and choice choice choice. It didn’t used to be that way.
videos
Walmart Takes Phallic "Fun Straws" Seriously
By 3.16.08
BONUS: WSAZ launched a classy investigation into the incident, which appears after the jump.
All The Dashboard Lights Flash Whenever I Drive My Dodge Charger In The Rain
By 3.13.08
Whenever Brian drives his Dodge Charger in the rain, all of the dash lights flash and has trouble restarting his car. He’s taken the car to the dealership multiple times, but they say they’re never able to recreate the problem. Above are two screencaps of the video he took last time this occurred. He’s now taken to writing a letter to Chrysler CEO Big Bob Nardelli, which is most likely a futile effort. You might instead email Cerberus, the company that now owns Chrysler’s ass. Maybe the dealership will find it’s able to recreate the flashing signals if Brian rides along the next time they test the car. Maybe call the Car Talk radio show. Inside, a video of this bizzare phenom in action, and his letter to the CEO.
This Giant Steel Clamp Makes An Excellent Frozen Entree
By 3.8.08
Aldi is recalling three flavors of its Fit and Active frozen dinners after an Omaha family found a steel clamp sealed in a sesame chicken frozen entree.
“If’ it’s from a machine. If it’s a practical joke. Well, it’s not really funny just because if there’s small pieces,” explained mom Karen Kader
The 5 Stages Of Dealing With Comcast Customer Service Grief
By 3.5.08
This video is a promotional spot for Comcastmustdie.com, your one-stop shop for bitching about the cable-provider. People who submit their complaints over there in the comments along with their account numbers have gotten them fixed.
Worst Promotion Ever Causes Riot In Union Square As Hipsters Fight For Cash-Wrapped Tomatoes
By 3.1.08
Cash Tomato, a would-be YouTube! competitor, tried to drum up free advertising by handing out tomatoes wrapped with wads of cash in New York’s Union Square. The event was scheduled to kick-off yesterday at 2:29 p.m. to honor the leap year with giveaways of up to $29. Predictably, a riot ensued as a mob of over 100 overwhelmed the three workers dressed as tomatoes who were holding the cash. Video of the riot, after the jump.
Video Of Comcast's Opening Remarks During Net Neutrality Hearing With Seats Stuffed By Company Employees
By 2.27.08
Here’s a video of Comcast VP David Cohen’s opening remarks during the FCC hearing on Monday, the one where Comcast bused in employees. These employees all wore yellow highlighters to identify themselves to company organizers.
Animals Bring Phishing Call To Life
By 2.27.08
Chris went ahead and added some animal pictures to make a video of that phone call between a scammer and a Southern gentleman. A weasel plays the Indian phisher, a houndog plays the gentleman, and a goose plays his wife. Go back to the post and watch it, it’s even funnier than the original.
Is Your Vet Ripping You Off?
By 2.26.08
KNBC went undercover and found a bunch of vets are more sales people than pet doctors, using fear to sell more treatment than is necessary. They took pets with minor ailments, checked out by a vet, to several different vets. Instead of getting the minor fixes they should have been recommended, these vets advised expensive extra tests, procedures, and medicines geared more towards lining their pockets than healing the pets. One dog had an upset stomach but was recommended a $300 “eyelid scraping,” despite his eyes being perfect. When confronted, the vet said she had done nothing wrong, and “eyelid scraping is not done in the states, but she used to do it in Austria.” She also admitted there was nothing the matter with the dog’s eyes. The report says that if you get recommended an expensive procedure, get a second opinion.
Man Records Phishing Call
By 2.26.08
–> A man in Virginia who apparently likes to record suspicious phone calls captured a very funny 10-minute talk with the world’s clumsiest phisher who called his house trying to get his bank account number. His local news station reports, “Howard says he recorded it because he wanted to help people by putting it on the news.”
Stephen Colbert Weighs In On McDonald's Sponsored Report Cards
By 2.16.08
Stephen Colbert interviewed Susan Pagan, a mother offended by McDonalds’ sponsorship of her daughter’s elementary school report card, for his segment “People Destroying America.”
National Energy Rebate Fund Scam
By 2.15.08
Some window installers are offering what sounds like a great deal, a 50% off rebate, but just try to collect it, like the unlucky people in this KUTV investigation video (transcript inside).
Call Center Call Customer "Little Girl" For Not Buying Computer
By 2.15.08
In this supposedly real call leaked from a Panamanian call center, a call center rep mocks a customer when he decides not to buy a new computer because it doesn’t come with speakers, calling him a “little girl” and a “little pussy girl.” Whether it’s real or not, it doesn’t really matter, it’s funny. Transcript inside…
Customs Searching, Seizing, Gadgets
By 2.12.08
Amir Khan, a Pakistani-born US Citizen, has had his laptop searched by US customs agents on five separate occasions when returning to the US from overseas. It’s no longer just rifling through your luggage, Customs is now going through laptops, Blackberries, and other gizmos, sometimes confiscating them, and sometimes never returning them. Please bend over and spread your laptop. Transcript, inside…
It Costs $134 Million To Make $80 Million In Pennies
By 2.11.08
Guess it’s time to start making ’em out of plastic. Transcript, inside…
Time Warner's Hilarious Verizon FiOS Attack Ad
By 2.8.08
Competition brings out the best in employees, friends, and companies, as demonstrated brilliantly in Time Warner’s attack ad against Verizon FiOS. The scenario is that a cocksure suburban dude is interrupted making a bowl of fiber cereal by the doorbell.
Mother's Blog Spawns Investigation Into Unsafe Car Seats
By 2.8.08
When mother Debbie rented a car from Advantage Rent-A-Car she was surprised to have to paw through rows of shoddy, dirty, car seats, some missing parts, to find one that worked. When she complained to the manager, he insisted that the car seats were thoroughly cleaned and inspected after each use. Her blog post about the issue caught the eye of the local news station, who did an investigative report on the matter. Following the report, Advantage-Rent-A-Car conducted a company-wide inspection and cleanout of its seats, and instituted new policies to make sure they rent only clean and safe car seats. ” This was a huge change for the company and a fantastic and very satisfying result from my perspective,” writes Debbie. Inside, her 10 tips for working with a local news team to resolve your consumer complaint.
How About Those Super Bowl Ads!
By 2.4.08
Last night’s commercials were a tame batch of disappointment. Everybody wanted cutesy animals—squirrels, horses, ponies, pigeons, crickets, dogs, lions, and lizards—to endorse their products. After the jump, the four spots that caught our eye.
