Marketing suckage.......

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

1. Can someone track down who coined the phrase "doorbusters" and crack their kneecaps with a tire iron? Did someone think Black Friday wasn't rowdy enough and decide to invent a phrase that puts a psychological message in people's minds that they need to bust the doors to get these fabulous deals on crap?

I cringed a bit at the Target ads with the stick figures running with the carts and saying "Don't let anything stop you!"

2. This is mainly a car dealership thing, but when did automakers stop having "sales" and start having "sales events"? It doesn't make your dealership sound classy or exclusive, its makes it sound like it has marketing folks that get paid per word.

True that.

3. That Wal-Mart ad that actually boasts "we'll have more lanes open than ever this season!" That's not something to be proud of, Einsteins. Also I wonder if they'll start making staff do that thing with the checkout lights as part of their lame-ass morning routines.

That means they'll have 3 lanes open instead of the normal 2.

Hey, they did say more lanes open than ever before....

4. The credit card companies find new ways to encourage selfish behavior. First it's those obnoxious "using cash slows the world down" ads, now that ad for Visa (I think) with the young guy shopping for his mom, only to get her "what she really wants" and shows up to Christmas dinner in a suit. I think I literally WTF'ed the first time I saw that one. What a message, show your family how much you care by buying something for yourself.

Something the kid will wear once and throw in a closet to rot. Or better yet, return.

And I hardly think there is any store so busy that paying with cash slows things down to a point where people get pissed.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Or just "events". I don't get that either. The Lexus ads are especially laughable in this regard as I know they think they're classy.

Think that's bad . . . watch the Kia commercial running now, where the sales rep is dancing around like he's in the movie "Flashdance" to the tune of "Maniac."

Now that is sheer stupidity at it's finest. Never in my life have I ever seen a car salesperson act like that and I hope I never will.

[Boozy]

I have a discount card membership for a Canadian clothing store chain, and they have "events" instead of sales, too.

The funniest thing is when they send me an e-mail inviting me to a "shopping party" at their store. Its always just a regular shopping day with some not-so-great deals. They just stick a few balloons on the racks. Who do they think they're kidding?

[LizaMarie]

this is slightly off topic, but it still has to do with awful commercials...

have you seen the one with the super model sitting on a bench next to an ordinary woman whose eating a little Quiznos sandwich? The model is thinking things like, "She's getting so much enjoyment out of that little sandwich. That should be me!" and then she turns to the ordinary woman and says, "I hate you."

Instead of saying, "Fuck you, you anorexic skank," the woman looks thrilled and says breathlessly, "Wow, really?"

It drives me crazy! Like it's ok for the wealthy and super attractive to treat regular folks like shit, and should even be thanked when they deign to notice them even for negative reasons! Argghhhh, it just reinforces the SC mindset. Fuck you Quiznos!

[Interior Desecrator]

Then again, my family is weird... A good christmas to us is watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas, chatting by a fire, waking up late in the morning, having pillsbury cinnamon rolls and opening a few presents...

Holy cow! That is EXACTLY what my family does! Only, our movie of choice is White Christmas. It's nice to know there are normal families left in the world.

[aqutalion]

this is slightly off topic, but it still has to do with awful commercials...

have you seen the one with the super model sitting on a bench next to an ordinary woman whose eating a little Quiznos sandwich? The model is thinking things like, "She's getting so much enjoyment out of that little sandwich. That should be me!" and then she turns to the ordinary woman and says, "I hate you."

Instead of saying, "Fuck you, you anorexic skank," the woman looks thrilled and says breathlessly, "Wow, really?"

It drives me crazy! Like it's ok for the wealthy and super attractive to treat regular folks like shit, and should even be thanked when they deign to notice them even for negative reasons! Argghhhh, it just reinforces the SC mindset. Fuck you Quiznos!

That's not the message I read into it. I figured it was like, she was glad because, for once, the anorexic skank was jealous of her. Eat Quizno's and the beautiful people will be jealous of you, for a change!

Is anyone else annoyed by the "Duh" campaign Honda (or whatever car company it is) is doing? "Buy our cars, and if you don't, you're stupid."

[auntiem]

Is anyone else annoyed by the "Duh" campaign Honda (or whatever car company it is) is doing? "Buy our cars, and if you don't, you're stupid."

I loathe those commercials!

I was watching tv with my Mom when that ad about the guy in the suit came on. She said - "what he really needs is a haircut".

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Is anyone else annoyed by the "Duh" campaign Honda (or whatever car company it is) is doing? "Buy our cars, and if you don't, you're stupid."

That's a Hyundai commercial, and from what I've heard anecdotally Hyundais are crap cars.

this is slightly off topic, but it still has to do with awful commercials...

have you seen the one with the super model sitting on a bench next to an ordinary woman whose eating a little Quiznos sandwich? The model is thinking things like, "She's getting so much enjoyment out of that little sandwich. That should be me!" and then she turns to the ordinary woman and says, "I hate you."

Instead of saying, "Fuck you, you anorexic skank," the woman looks thrilled and says breathlessly, "Wow, really?"

It drives me crazy! Like it's ok for the wealthy and super attractive to treat regular folks like shit, and should even be thanked when they deign to notice them even for negative reasons! Argghhhh, it just reinforces the SC mindset. Fuck you Quiznos!

I wish Quizno's would bring back those weird rodent-thingies that sang.

"We love the subs.....cuz' they are good to us....."

[qaxons]

I wish Quizno's would bring back those weird rodent-thingies that sang.

"We love the subs.....cuz' they are good to us....."

Those. Damn. Freaky. Rodent. Things. I boycotted Quizno's until they stopped showing those commercials, they were that annoying, disturbing, and weird.

[Geek King]

That's a Hyundai commercial, and from what I've heard anecdotally Hyundais are crap cars.

They were, but they have done an image shift, and have had decent cars for the last few years. Look up Cunsumer Reports annual car issue for what's really good, and for what reasons, any given year. They even go into long-term viability of the cars.

[Dreamstalker]

And I hardly think there is any store so busy that paying with cash slows things down to a point where people get pissed.

I find cash quicker than plastic. Especially since I know card machines tend to bog down on busy days (my old bookstore had one outgoing line shared by four card terminals...that was no end of fun).

Is anyone else annoyed by the "Duh" campaign Honda (or whatever car company it is) is doing? "Buy our cars, and if you don't, you're stupid."

Oh HELL yes. That was cute the first three times I saw it, but...I feel like I want to dope-slap the TV every time that comes on.

[matty]

Surely it's the SCs who slow things down. An SC has the ability to slow things down whether they are paying with cash or plastic!

And actually *ducks very low right now* I like the sound of "sales events".

On the other hand, I hate it when television networks advertise their shows as:
"A special television event" (Er, it's just another drama/comedy/whatever)
"A special encore presentation" (Oh, you mean a repeat/re-run).

[chops]

It didn't take me long to dislike the Hyundai "duh" ads.

But what's even worse are the Honda commercials with "Mr. Opportunity"...the annoying animated guy who 'knocks' on the screen, making that generic knocking-on-a-tube-TV sound. Those commercials only tend to appear at the end of the model year (i.e., August/September).

[Flood]

I always figured that car dealerships called them "sales events" instead of "sales" because they weren't actually offering any discounts they didn't normally have available. They're just events during which they sell you things. With maybe some theme appropriate decorations.

I'm just glad that the "I'm a little lad who loves berries and cream" skittles aren't around anymore.

[Crazeyal]

Those. Damn. Freaky. Rodent. Things. I boycotted Quizno's until they stopped showing those commercials, they were that annoying, disturbing, and weird.

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