Sunday, October 31, 2010

WARNING: This post is weak.

Because my creativity has left me but I've been a very negligent blogger: some interesting advertisements I've come across recently....

1.  On the radio station I listen to each morning on the way to work, they regularly give jewelry away as prizes for listeners who call in and jump through the appropriate hoops.  Normally it's your birthstone in the form of a necklace or earrings or something.  More recently however, they've kicked it up (or down?) a notch.  Their current advertisement:
"...want to once again give two BFFs a great gift; a pair of pearl necklaces to celebrate their friendship."
If this doesn't sound weird to you, you don't know what kind of pearl necklace I giggle about whenever I hear this commercial.  (NOTE:  Maybe my in-laws shouldn't click on that link, nor should you if you're at work - your IT department will think you to be a pretty kinky (or exciting?) individual.  Your call.)   Also?  I'm 100%  95%  90% sure I'm not the only one who thinks of this when I hear this commercial.

2.  On this same radio station they run advertisements for a local plastic surgeon at "Bluewater Surgeries".  They're targeting young mom's who are missing their pre-baby body and are willing to take time away from mommy-hood to undergo some cosmetic procedures that will turn them into that "yummy mummy they knew they could be".  The ad campaign ends with a little tune that says "Fall in love with yourself, Bluewater Surgeries".  Not meaning to go all feminist on you, dear reader, but it saddens me that cosmetic companies are focusing their marketing campaigns on young women who should quite frankly have better things to worry about than fitting in their "skinny jeans" having just had a child.  I think this company may be in cohoots with The Gap.

...So far, it's looking like the ad companies want you (and your BFF) to be skinny and taut so that you can attract men who will give you pearl necklaces!  There's got to be something better out there, right?  Let's continue...

A sign that I used to drive past on the way home from work:

So what we have here is a billboard for a karaoke spot for kids, which is licensed by the Liquor Board of Ontario...the place that controls all the booze for our Province.  They really want to start them on the booze at a young age, eh? I suppose it's only fitting though.  If they find joy in drinking, they'll be more likely to pair up with their best friend and meet up with a guy who will give them pearl necklaces, and then knock-them-up, after which they'll need to go to Bluewater Surgeries to get their pre-baby bodies back!  Oh, the circle of life.


On a completely unrelated note to all-things-advertising, did you guys know that apparently you need to have a pumpkin on your porch or in a window in order for the little halloween people to know that you're giving away free candy?  Sadly, we dropped the ball on the pumpkin boat, and have had about 16 little rug-rats in the last hour and a half.  We've watched people walk past our house, looking in at us, but coaxing their kids to go to the house next door.  Maybe it's because of our reputation as the naked house.  Once again, home ownership will lead to plumper home-owners as we eat the candy we couldn't give away....*sigh*





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