"Truth" in Advertising?

The other night, Mr. Remarkable Monkey and I were watching Top Gear on BBC America (is it just me, or is the British version of Top Gear the only one worth watching?) when one of those wonderful cable-only commercials came on. You know the kind... low-budget production, excitable voice-over announcer, overly obvious acting, etc. The ad was for a certain lightning implement.

Now, I was playing around on my new MacBook Pro and only half paying attention when the commercial started. But the over-emphatic announcer caught my attention. Without looking up from my laptop, I commented to Mr. RM about the "James Brolin School of Acting" quality of the voiceover. (The James Brolin School of Acting tag is a fond moniker we've given to any example of tin pan alley, obvious or just plain bad thespianism. No offense intended to James Brolin, but it was based on a few poor examples of his acting that we've witnessed in the past, but that's just our opinion.)

The ad was full of enthusiastic declarations about the amazing features of the product, delivered with such gusto that one would believe this item is the be-all and end-all of the lighting world! The greatest thing since the electric lightbulb! Truly, this spot could almost be mistaken for a parody of those "seen on TV" ads, but it's for real. And then, without warning, the announcer made the astounding declaration that this particular lantern was made with "genuine metal".  GENUINE METAL! WTF? Mr. RM and I immediately stopped and looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. Genuine metal? Seriously? What other kind of metal is there?

In defense of the copywriter, I'll grant that there probably are many products made from plastic embellished to look like metal, but the exuberance with which the statement was made was completely over the top and comedically ridiculous. Or maybe it was just us. I don't know. Here's a link to the spot... I'll let you be the judge. (The metal magic happens at 1:17.)

On top of the genuine metal claim, the lantern also features an "authentic antique dome"... whatever that is. Have they recycled the dome part from old lanterns? Other versions of this spot say "authentic shatterproof dome" instead of "authentic antique dome"... I wonder which version is the the "legally approved claim" version? The mind boggles.

Apparently, this ad has been around since last summer, but somehow we'd never seen it in the monkey cage. At any rate, we might be late to the party, but we got a solid chuckle out of it! Maybe you will too. I think they may carry these at some big box retailers now too, so feel free to run out and buy yourself one! Be sure to let me know if it lights up the night for ya, and lasts 10,000 hours.

Who Thinks This Stuff Up?

I was at my local big box department store, picking up a few household items and toiletries, and I came across this:

Wow! A limited edition GIFT BOX for pantiliners! Is it just me, or is this a ridiculous idea? I mean, seriously... who exactly is the "gift" for? The consumer who purchases these absurdly packaged pantiliners? Because in all honesty, I think most women would consider that particular product a necessity and not a gift. I suppose perhaps the company intended the "gift box" to be a pretty, inconspicuous place in which to store the pantiliners. Now, that's a nice thought in theory. The reality, however, is that a bright pink box is kind of a dead giveaway. That particular shade of pink seems to be the color of choice for a large percentage of feminine care products. The box is also a loser in the practicality department, as it's a pain in the ass to pull the lid off a somewhat bulky box in order to fish out a pantiliner from inside. It's MUCH quicker and easier to just grab one out of the original packaging with the handy flap on top. Any woman with PMS will tell you that easier is better! Don't put unnecessary obstacles between us and the feminine protection items we seek from underneath the bathroom counter! 

Maybe the clever marketing department over at the Always company thought this would be a great box for the consumer to use to GIVE gifts in. After all, I first saw it in late fall, just as the holiday shopping season was kicking in. Yeah... give someone a gift in an atrociously pink box that absolutely SCREAMS "feminine products". That's a great idea... as long as you're giving it to someone you don't like very much, or a very good friend with a warped sense of humor. (Hmmm... perhaps I missed a golden opportunity there....)

Then again, maybe the Always marketing department was clever after all. I now have two of these delightfully ridiculous, atrociously pink "gift" boxes, though I don't keep my pantiliners in them. I don't know what to do with them... I hate them, but they make me laugh every time I look at them! And aside from the unfortunate color, they're a fairly sturdy and potentially useful box for a purpose other than pantiliner storage. Maybe I'll let them reside in the back of the closet for a while. Maybe one of my friends or relatives will get a gift in one. Think of the hours of fun they could have pondering whether that means I don't like them much or if I think they have a warped sense of humor and would appreciate the joke. I'll never tell!