Billboards by Nicholas Sparks
Every day, on my walk to school, I pass a construction site of brand-new condominiums. They'll have a view of the resevoir (a really decent little body of water) and the park. In the forefront of the site there's a large billboard for these units. Its design is elegant-- it depicts a svelte woman with sleek hair in a tailored skirt and blouse gazing out her picture-window. And in large script across the top, it advertises these new... elegant... "Gracious" condominiums.
Spacious? no.
Graceful, even? no.
GRACIOUS.
Now, I ask you, friends... what the hell is a gracious condominium?
I suppose it thanks you for living in it when you walk in the door. It must also respond modestly and with appreciation when you compliment it. Maybe it gets you that hazelnut cream you like for your coffee?
So much for my place. I mean, it's considerate enough, but I'd never call it gracious.
posted by Sarah @ 12:29 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
I am always pleased when others are outraged by the idiots who run the advertising industry. I always come back to the question: "who came UP with that idea?" A friend of mine always counters with, "Who okay-d that idea?" What executive in an office would say - yes, you're totally right - this condo is gracious.
WTF!
Mike said...
I think Dave Barry's comments on advertising pretty much encapsulate how I feel about it. I'm now going to blatantly plagarize from his "Dave Barry Turns 50" book.
"The value of advertising is that it tells you the exact opposite of what the advertiser actually thinks. For example:
-if the advertisement says "This is not your father's Oldsmobile," the advertiser is desperately concerned that this Oldsmobile, ilke all other Oldsmobiles, appeals primarily to old farts like your father.
-if Coke and Pepsi spend billions of dollars to convince you that there are significant differences between these two products, both companies realize that Pepsi and Coke are virtually identical.
-if Budwiser runs an elaborate advertising campaign stressing the critical importance of a beer's "born-on" date, Budwiser knows this factor has virtually nothing to do with how good a beer tastes.
-if an advertisement shows a group of cool, attractive youngsters getting excited and high-fiving each other because the refrigerator contains Sunny Delight, the advertiser knows that any real youngster who reacted in this way to this beverage would be considered by his peers to be the world's biggest dipshit.
And so on. On those rare occasions when advertising dares to poke fun at its product-as in the classic Volkswagon Beetle campaign-it's because the advertiser actually thinks the product is pretty good. If a politican ever ran for President under a slogan such as "Harlan Frubert: Basically, He Wants Attention," I would quit my job to work for his campaign."
Given these insights (which I actually agree with), we can guess that the advertiser knows that it's impossible for a condo to actually be inherently gracious and/or if it were possible, these condos ain't them, and any condo has nothing to do with whether or not you're svelte or attractive.
Mike
I SECOND! to anything Lana WTFs.
Word. If Lana WTF's something, you know it's WTF-worthy.
There's a new sign in the window of the dollar store near my house that reads, in part,"Everything $.99 or less and up."
Wha???
I suppose that price range does cover "everything"...
LMAO! That sign is ingenious.
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