"A Bag of Interesting"

[rowyn]

Krud noted on Twitter that the slogan on his bag of Chex Mix(tm) was "A Bag of Interesting"(tm). I've been trying to imagine the conversation which led to using this.

Director: What is this? You call this a slogan?
Marketing Guy: Sorry, sir. All of the good slogans are taken.
Director: What, all of them?
Marketing Guy: Yes, sir.
Director: Can't we use something simple like "Tastes great"?
Marketing Guy: Bud Light trademarked that already, sir.
Director: "Mm mm good"?
Marketing: Campbell's Soup.
Director: "They're GREAT"?
Marketing: Frosted Flakes.
Director: "Try it, you'll like it"?
Marketing: Alka-seltzer.
Director: Really? Alka-Seltzer?
Marketing: Yes, sir.
Director: Howabout just "Enjoy"?
Marketing: Coca-Cola.
Director: There must be something left. Didn't your team come up with anything else that wasn't already in use?
Marketing Guy: ... yes. But they're no better.
Director: Lay it on me.
Marketing Guy. If you insist, sir.
Director: I do.
Marketing Guy: There was "Chex Mix: It's Full of Carbs." And "Sackful of Random Crap We Threw Together." And "You Could Make It Yourself for Less But The Bag Is More Convenient."
Director: .... those are not improvements.
Marketing Guy: No, sir. We thought of trying "It's f***ing AWESOME" but the focus groups showed that mothers hated it and a boycott or perhaps a lynching would result.
Director: Pity. So ... this is all we've got.
Marketing Guy: I'm afraid so.
Director: Couldn't we at least make it grammatically correct? Y'know, "A Bag of Interesting ... Stuff", or something?
Marketing Guy: Do you think that would help, sir?
Director: No.
Marketing Guy: "A Bag of Interesting" it is, then.
Director: I hate my job.

Comments

[octantis.livejournal.com]

"Chex Mix: Jump up my butt and eat a bag of hell!"

You know, the funny thing is there's a website dedicated to 'engrish' where amusing mistranslations are put up, but I've noticed marketing slogans are getting to the point that they're sounding like engrish and it's our own damn language. :P

I saw a billboard for a supermarket the other day, I think Roseaurs. It went "Roseaurs: Because your best deserves fresh".

I guess.. technically it works? But that saying am a clumsy. It makes our good sound a dumb. Bizarro!

[schpydurx.livejournal.com]

Do you think this might be related to the fact that America keeps outsourcing its jobs to non-native English speakers/writers?

[octantis.livejournal.com]

I don't think that's the case, actually. I can't speak as to whether marketing jobs are outsourced en masse for certain, but I do know that trying to chop down these blurbs as much as they can is a big part of marketing strategy. The fewer words you can say it in, the more likely it is to stick.

They also look hard for phrases that have impact, and grammar and spelling takes a back seat at that point. All of your food is lite, for example. Or they'll say something that more tries to convey an emotion than communicate anything about the product, and it can be barely a sentence or just a few adjectives hovering there by themselves.

I think marketing is one of those things where there isn't really a whole lot to be saved or gained by outsourcing like more labor intensive tasks. I'm sure some of it is outsourced, but I suspect less so than other industries. I could be wrong.

[octantis.livejournal.com]

Take a back seat, I mean. My grammar am not perfect neither.

[rowyn]

I'm with Octantis -- I think marketers do it because their research/training/focus group/whatever shows that it's appealing, not because the marketers don't know any better.

[rowyn]

But that saying am a clumsy. It makes our good sound a dumb.

*giggles*