There are two kinds of people: The ones who read cereal boxes and the ones who don't.
I read cereal boxes. Milk cartons as well, but I digress.
This morning brought a new box of spoon size shredded wheat to the table. In compelling letters across the top of the box, it read, "Great New Look, Same Great Taste."
Great New Look? Do the cereal people think consumers are as dumb as rocks? What great new look can you give to mini shredded wheat? It's shredded wheat for god's sake.
It's mushed into a square, otherwise it would be wheat hairs, those orphan wheat shreds that settle to the bottom of the box. Anyway, the only Great New Look that would be noticed by most sensible Americans would be the double helix.
This is as insulting to our intellect as:
- Mission Accomplished!
- I didn't inhale.
- Simulated drowning, e.g. water boarding, is not torture. (Want to give it a try and get back to us later on that one?).
- Closing the southern border will keep terrorists out and create more job opportunities for Americans.
- A family of four can live on the new minimum wage.
- We have levees to protect us.
- It is possible to give a Great New Shape to shredded wheat.
Woe unto the corporation, agency, elected official, or candidate who misjudges the savvy of the sensible American.
And while I'm at it, don't mess around with my cereal.Jo Wicker
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1 comment:
Your analogy between political slogans and product marketing is particularly apt given the Bush administration's reliance on Madison Avenue techniques to push policy (e.g. Andy Card's infamous comment about never rolling out a new product in August vis a vis Iraq).
The least they could have done was do it more competently as you note. Well said.
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