Truth in Advertising

[andyzee]

I find it funny how advertisers can "stretch the truth". One of my favorite examples has always been Ivory soap with their slogan "99 and 44/100s percent pure" and "so pure it floats". My question, pure what? Pure chit, pure grain alcohol, pure animal fat, what is it?

Anyone else have any good ones?

 

[Marc]

Basically anything ever said in any TV commercial.

 

[Marc]

Especially infomercials.

 

[ctenidae]

Some car commercials have gotten kind of funny with the "Proffesisonal driver on a closed course" type warnings. For the Edge, there's a commercial with the car driving on the, well, edge of buildings. The little type says "Dramatization. Cars can't really drive on buildings". Jeep has one with a Jeep driving up out of the ocean, and the small print says something about "Jeeps can't float."

It's the little things, you know. Still won't get me to buy a Jeep or an Edge, but still...

 

[Marc]

Yeah, but I'd say those are good examples of actual truth in advertising.

Just like the list of side effects they ramble off at the end of the commericials for various prescription medications.

 

[bvibert]

Especially infomercials.

Infomercials crack me up the way they try to make the easiest tasks seem impossible without their special gadget.

I'm waiting for one like this:

"Tired of getting feces all over your hands and clothes when wiping your ass? You need the ass-master trained monkey to do it for you... It's asstastic!"

 

[Marc]

Infomercials crack me up the way they try to make the easiest tasks seem impossible without their special gadget.

I'm waiting for one like this:

"Tired of getting feces all over your hands and clothes when wiping your ass? You need the ass-master trained monkey to do it for you... It's asstastic!"

If you're sellin it, I'm buyin it!

 

[bvibert]

If you're sellin it, I'm buyin it!

Give me a few weeks to train the monkey.

 

[YardSaleDad]

Mentos - The Freshmaker

 

[Marc]

I'ma have monkey! w00t!

 

[bvibert]

I'ma have monkey! w00t!

The question is; who's gonna wipe the monkey's butt?

 

[bvibert]

Infomercials crack me up the way they try to make the easiest tasks seem impossible without their special gadget.

I'm waiting for one like this:

"Tired of getting feces all over your hands and clothes when wiping your ass? You need the ass-master trained monkey to do it for you... It's asstastic!"

If you're sellin it, I'm buyin it!

Not quite as cool as a monkey, but along the same lines:

http://www.cleanishappy.com/

I thought it was funny that I came across that on another forum today...

 

[JimG]

I find it funny how advertisers can "stretch the truth". One of my favorite examples has always been Ivory soap with their slogan "99 and 44/100s percent pure" and "so pure it floats". My question, pure what? Pure chit, pure grain alcohol, pure animal fat, what is it?

Anyone else have any good ones?

If it floats, it must be a witch.

And what do we do with witches?

 

[bvibert]

If it floats, it must be a witch.

And what do we do with witches?

BURN HER!!!

 

[hammer]

And now for something completely different...

 

[JimG]

Always makes me laugh.

 

[cbcbd]

Not quite as cool as a monkey, but along the same lines:

http://www.cleanishappy.com/

I thought it was funny that I came across that on another forum today...

My friend's parents had one... I used it... I felt cleaner, happier

 

[thebigo]

I find it funny how advertisers can "stretch the truth". One of my favorite examples has always been Ivory soap with their slogan "99 and 44/100s percent pure" and "so pure it floats". My question, pure what? Pure chit, pure grain alcohol, pure animal fat, what is it?

As I understand it the idea of marketing the soap as pure was an afterthought. One of the production guys acidentally started whipping air into the soap. This was at a time when bathing in rivers was common. Sales soared because people didnt lose the soap and subsequently customers demanded more of the floating soap. As indoor plumbing became more popular, bathing in rivers faded away resulting in one of P&Gs best product losing market share.

The story goes that all the big shots got together to brain storm a way to maintain market share. One of the execs said nobody will buy a soap that is full of air. One of the marketing guys chimed in with 'well tell them its pure'. Apparently the purity of all soaps is roughly the same but P&G has held onto a winner for over 100 years with that line.

 

[andyzee]

Some car commercials have gotten kind of funny with the "Proffesisonal driver on a closed course" type warnings. For the Edge, there's a commercial with the car driving on the, well, edge of buildings. The little type says "Dramatization. Cars can't really drive on buildings". Jeep has one with a Jeep driving up out of the ocean, and the small print says something about "Jeeps can't float."

It's the little things, you know. Still won't get me to buy a Jeep or an Edge, but still...

Speaking of car advertising(though not limted to cars), I've always loved their gimmick of telling you that they'll beat anyone's price, if they can't you get the car for free! How many cars do you think they've given away because they couldn't beat a price?

 

[JimG]

As I understand it the idea of marketing the soap as pure was an afterthought. One of the production guys acidentally started whipping air into the soap. This was at a time when bathing in rivers was common. Sales soared because people didnt lose the soap and subsequently customers demanded more of the floating soap. As indoor plumbing became more popular, bathing in rivers faded away resulting in one of P&Gs best product losing market share.

The story goes that all the big shots got together to brain storm a way to maintain market share. One of the execs said nobody will buy a soap that is full of air. One of the marketing guys chimed in with 'well tell them its pure'. Apparently the purity of all soaps is roughly the same but P&G has held onto a winner for over 100 years with that line.

Yes...and to promote the purity image they picked an unknown model to pose for the pictures that would appear on boxes of 99.99% pure Ivory laundry detergent. She was chosen for her all-American good looks and her aura of maternal care. Does anyone remember that beautiful model and the lovely baby she held?

That was future hard core porn star Marilyn Chambers. Not 99.99% pure.