OPINION
OPINION
Advertising has reached another level, (or should I say depth?). The marketing men and advertisers have become clever enough to realise exactly why it is that people won't by a certain product: it's flaws.
Once they have done this, it is a simple matter to dupe people into buying it: all they have to do is to relaunch the product with an ad campaign which clearly states that this is in actual fact exactly what the product does. (A new brand name often helps here, but does not seem to be necessary). People are generally quite decent, and can't really believe that anyone would lie in such an outrageous manner. Combine that with their belief that progress happens in a linear way over time, and they'll be queuing up to try the product again in no time.
Shampoo and conditioner in one bottle: "Hey that sounds like a great idea!" - The trouble is that the product does not function in this way at all! There is almost no conditioning action whatsoever!
Lip-stainers: The trouble with lipsticks is that they rub off onto everything in sight. How to sell more lipstick? Just say that yours doesn't. "Oooh! A lipstick that doesn't come off on everything! Great! I'll buy that!". The only trouble is, that the 'new' lipstick is just as crap as all other lipsticks...
Tooth-kind blackcurrent juice!!!!: Unbelievable! A blackcurrant juice drink, targeted at children which boasts the recommendation of the British Dental Association. (Surely nothing to do with who the manufactures are?). Here's a little experiment: take 3 old two pence coins. Place first into a cup of water, second into a cup of 'Ribena tooth-kind' and third into a cup of cola. After a day or so the cola will have almost completely cleaned the coin, the water will have no discernible effect and the 'Ribena' will be somewhere between the two. A simple experiment which clearly demonstrates that kind to teeth it probably is not. [Repeat at leisure using real teeth from small child].
(The Advertising Standards Authority here in the UK have just labelled the product claims 'misleading' 12/7/00).
So what do we find? Well, ad men have always lied through their teeth so that is certainly nothing new. However this new form of blatant and targeted lying, which actually uses the product's flaws for marketing is slightly shocking, even to an old cynic like me.
Of course the end result of all this is that I now don't believe anything anyone ever tells me, (which I suppose is at least one positive thing to come out of all this).
On Monday, October 29, 2001 jenna wrote:
Perhaps if we didnt fall for these ads they wouldnt produce them?!
Please tell me what you thought...
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A page from James David Chapman's website.
Located at: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jchap/ Site mirrored here at: http://www.j.chap.btinternet.co.uk |
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