Having been on maternity leave for five weeks, I’ve had a lot of time (while my wee one sleeps) to watch some solid daytime TV. I could go on and on about daytime TV in and of itself, but that wouldn’t really advance the cause of this blog, which is supposed to address issues of marketing and advertising ilk. So, I’ll instead focus on the advertising I’ve seen during all of this TV watching.
First, the PedEgg. It’s basically a plastic egg with a metal emery board that helps with home pedicures — $10 for two of these things! One issue I have with this ad, other than it’s thoroughly cheesy, is that I’m not sure why I would need two when there is a lifetime guarantee on one? Oh, wait, the spot answers the question — one is for the household female and one is for the household male. No non-traditional households need bother with ordering the PedEgg, according to the spot.
Second, freecreditreport.com. These spots are total garbage. That’s the best I can say. I’ve seen three in the series — all are based on this poor dunce who apparently has made a series of errant decisions he could have avoided if he’d known about and/or used freecreditreport.com. Sounds okay, right? Try again. They are all staged as if he is part of a three-man band and he sings a dreadful jingle while delivering each narrative. Bad enough, but then couple that with the fact that it’s totally obvious this guy is lip synching… badly. This guy certainly is no champ at “Puttin’ on the Hits.”
Next, the ShamWOW! This product is pretty neat — my issue with the spot is that the production company couldn’t bring it together enough to afford a boom mic. The talent has on a headset! I think the production company cut a few corners and just recorded this guy’s performance at his booth at the state fair. And, just like the PedEgg, why does my order have to include 8 ShamWOWs? If one is so great, why do I need 8?!?
And, for your viewing pleasure, next up is The Buxton Bag. Just look at this thing. This is for the woman who has completely surrendered any sense of fashion to extreme utility. You’re just screaming to the world that you no longer have pride in your wardrobe. You just want a slot for every credit card, a space for two bottled waters and somewhere to protect those BluBlockers.
The spot I see the most right now is for Mighty Putty. Billy Mays is his name and stumping is his game. He has done spots for all sorts of products — OxiClean, Orange Glo, Awesome Auger, Bloomin’ Onion Maker, Easy Off Bam!, Fixit car scratch remover, Steam Buddy… okay, the list could go on and on. It’s so ridiculous that I put no stock in anything he promotes because he promotes it.
Next up: Aqua Globes. What cracks me up about this spot is that one of the ladies that uses an Aqua Globe is shown filling the globe, putting it in the planter in her house and then sitting back with a magazine to relax on the couch. It’s as if watering that plant was the only item on her to do list and once that’s done, why, she could kick back and put her feet up. And, now with the Aqua Globe, she can put her feet up for days!
Finally, Green Bags. Miracle product — no other way to describe these things. Debbie Meyer is a genius. On the level of Einstein or daVinci. These bags “prolong the life of fruits and vegetables” and allow you to store fruits in the SAME drawer as veggies in your fridge. OMG! Are we in the future? ONE drawer for both fruits and vegetables? The refrigerator industry is going to have to catch up to Debbie Meyer, that’s for sure
Meaningful Change – One Click at a Time
January is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. For some of us, that might mean joining a gym to get in shape. Due