On Thanksgiving morning the newspaper came in a different bag, one that advertised Pepto Bismol. The idea was innovative, I thought, but the fact that companies are always coming up with more ways to advertise frightened me. For my blog post I decided to write a comical letter to the company satirizing the their choice of advertisement.
Dear Pepto Bismol,
I would like to thank you, Pepto Bismol, on this important holiday when Americans express their gratitude for everything they appreciate. Your company kindly provided me with a “Complimentary Thanksgiving Adult Bib” made from the finest of materials, newspaper-bag plastic. Thanks for encouraging me to eat too much on Thanksgiving evening and reminding me to wear a bib so I won’t stain my clothes. And congratulations on being the first company to present me with an advertisement today (before every ad inside the newspaper) as I give thanks for my ability to make unbiased decisions while shopping. I know Pepto Bismol has me covered anytime I might have digestion problems.
Sincerely,
Allie Wainer
I found your post to be extremely humorous. The thing that intrigues me most about advertisements like Pepto Bismol's is how much planning must go into the ad. It's no coincidence that Pepto Bismol is encouraging you to buy it's products on the holiday you are most likely to need it. It's scary to think that these advertisements in a way take advantage of our socitey's stupidity. Most people when they see the Pepto Bismol ad aren't thinking that Pepto Bismol is trying to take advantage of the consumer, they are thinking what a coincidence it is that there is an ad for a product I could really use some of right now. Consumers truly need to be aware of these advertising techinques.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you decided to write a letter to Pepto Bismol, and how true it was. The fact that they supplied us with a bib to stuff our faces with later on until we're sick and in need of their product is so ironically funny. As Ali said, they really must have had some good advertisers who came up with this one. I also find it funny that on Thanksgiving, a day of thanks, we are inevitably going to give thanks to their company when they have supplied up with just the items we need. I guess we should all be saying thanks to companies like Pepto Bismol that proceed to annoy us with just the right products, to ensure we're happy right? More like to ensure we're happy enough to continue buying their products and really make them happy.
ReplyDeleteI found your post really funny! It actually made me relate back to another post where Rebecca spoke about what we think of during the holidays. It seems very clear from this that advertisers are still concerned with selling their products even on the holidays. The fact that Pepto Bismol gave you a bib, shows how they take advantage of you even during this time. They are hoping that you will wear the bib and if you feel like you have digestion problems, that you will be reminded of what to take. The advertisments are literally attached to you during the holidays. I find it funny and rediculous at the same time that companies give these endorsements just to make a profit. I don't know about you but i certainly would not want to go aroud wearing a Pepto Bismol bib. What would that say about me? Not only would i be giving into their advertisments but i would look crazy wearing it on a day about thanks and miracles; ironic isn't it! No one wants to experience these problems yet Pepto Bismo is encouraging it just for their own personal gain.
ReplyDelete-Nicole Talbi
This post is extremely witty and insightful. I think what struck me about it was that it was Pepto Bismo, which is just so fitting for Thanksgiving, seeing as how usually everyoine does in fact eat too much. It's like advertisers know us better than we know ourselves, and shape their advertising to completely take over our lives and every decision we make. It's frightening how well thought out their advertising is, and how easily it's becoming for them to target us.
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