During this morning's commute, I saw something that caught my eye. The absurd slogan was hard to miss, boldly emblazoned across a billboard promoting a fashion brand, was the motto
"We are us."
Reading this particular mantra left me to ponder what other potential slogans must have been rejected in the selection process. Wasn't "
I am me" good enough? Of course,
"He is him," "She is her" and
"They are them," were likely dismissed out of hand. As I later made my morning coffee, I discovered a box of biscuits in in the office break area. A note on the container proudly proclaimed the company had a record of
"25 Years of Quality Broken Biscuits." Obviously, some disscerning palate will accept only the finest damaged products. I was left questioning the collective mental ability of the modern marketing and advertising community. This is the best they can offer? Yes, the slogan was eye-catching. Mission accomplished, I suppose, but shouldn't a product or service be remembered by the consumer's for more than just being absurd?
Yes, kitschy slogans like
"It's Miller Time!" or
"Where's the Beef?" and
ad gimmicks like Speedy the
Alka Seltzer boy, or Santa Claus bob-sledding along in an electric razor
are just distant memories. But, they were fun and cutting-edge for thier time. Today, we have CGI-produced talking cats and thousands of young people entering the job market with university credentials specifically communications and marketing, but the ads just aren't fun and memorable as they were years ago.
With society allegedly getting better; as we grow more savvy and technologically sophisticated, shouldn't the marketing and advertising people follow suit? It is unrealistic to expect more?
Oh Speedy, where are you when we need you most?
