A Commercial Offense

I've experienced something that I've never thought would occur to my at the hands of multi-national corporations. They have made commercials which could be deemed offensive. While driving I heard a commercial about a McMuffin from McDonalds and while watching TV, the new commercial for Coke Zero. Rather than having commercials where people are dancing and efficient uses of product placement. McDonald's decided to play the race card, while Coke poked fun at airplane crashes.

While these commercials seem harmless to the naked eye, I wonder what marketing genius came up with these ideas and then who they were accepted by. The radio commercial involves a dude asking about an egg McMuffin. Then while arguing with another employee asks his co working "Sanjeet" who replies with his best Apu impersonation about not knowing anything what a McMuffin is or on what the conversation even pertains to. Even if it is mildly offensive, why the loud and atrocious accent? and then clear indication that "Sanjeet" could not understand English? I would really like to see who the target market and demographic this commercial was aimed for. If the ad campaign's goal was to be comical then why even add the component of an extra Indian dude, it could be done with your standard Susan or Joe blow. What was the goal of this commercial? Is it supposed to want me to eat a McMuffin? Just because the resident Indian IT guy doesn't know about? Maybe its because I'm Indian and I don't like my people being portrayed as blithering fools or being used as a cheap side show for a horrible ad campaign, either way..I digress.

This brings me to my next point about commercials becoming to liberal and insensitive to its target audience especially by multinational corporations. The latest Coke Zero ad revolves around two pilots flying a cargo plane. One of the pilots is flying the plane out of control because he thinks he's dreaming because Coke Zero has no calories or some bullshit like that. The commercial shows the plan flying all over the place and almost crashes into the tower where radio personnel operate. The end of the commercial shows the speeding plane trying to land upside down. Can Coke really be that callus to the events of 9/11 or other airplane accidents? Again this brings me to what the marketing geniuses were thinking? How does this apply to the main audience? The commercials main goal should want me to drink a Coke Zero, not think about how the people at Coke can be so stupid. This can't be out of the box thinking, since it doesn't any achieve goals indirectly. It almost shows that pilot is hallucinating because of the Coke. Maybe that was the selling point.

Multinational corporations should be held accountable to their national ad campaigns. These two examples Coke and McDonalds already have profits in the millions which means that non conventional attempts at advertising should be acceptable? Maybe I'm being too politically correct, but i think it fundamentally goes back to the goal of a marketing campaign. Coke should take lessons out of Pepsi's book and use P.Diddy to sell or a dancing Jimmy Falon. McDonalds really needs to make a cool mascot like that Burger King's King. Now those commercials are funny. Other global companies should take notice and not make these advertising blunders and try to be more in tune with the social consequences of mis-marketed products.

I know I won't be having Coke Zero or a McMuffin any time soon.

2 Day Work Week

An idea I've been trying to pitch at work, mostly at lunch when I can get anyone to listen to my hunger induced ramblings. Today I pitched an idea that has been siting with me every Wednesday morning before work. I think it would be great if we had Wednesdays off, which would split the work week up into 2 mini 2-day work weeks. People at work said that they'd rather have Friday's off like a regular so long weekends.

This would revolutionalize the work culture and way we live our day to day lives. I proposed the idea that with a day off in the middle, you could recharge your battery and have a day to do all those bullshit errands you have to run on the weekend since you don't got time during the week because the boss is working you like a fucking doggg!!--- I mean... a day that would allow you to do all the shit you don't want to do on the weekend. Which leaves the weekend to relax or do whatever you want, stress free.

It would also provide the sense of accomplishment, since the weekend would coming be earlier. I think this would be a good idea to change the work culture stressing the "go go go" lifestyle. This would be similar to the siesta in Spain, minus you know...the sleeping... I'm sayin, It would lighten the workload and ease stress in general because Hey! you're working less! I know employers won't have it but maybe half the hours could be made up through out the week. I'll stay an hour longer if I know my day off is a day away. There could be an argument made on the type of implications it could be made on the socio-economic aspects of society. The retail businesses, restaurants and malls would have a substantial increase in revenue, while the corporate and manufacturing industry would suffer. There are many pro's an cons which should be discussed by the labour board and...the prime minister.

I really wish it was the weekend now.

I'm out!

Peace.

The Serial Killers Club: Funnier than it Sounds

I've recently began reading a book called The Serial Killers Club by Jeff Povey. This novel is a black comedy, no not like Norbit, more of a satire involving a club of well...serial killers and one man's journey of trying to be accepted, and just having a sense of belonging. Our protagonist is a Dougie who's accidentally joined this club and his having a hard time staying in, since members keep finding out he's not a "Skiller". Even though he claims to be a good person and not a dirty "skiller" like all the others, our narrator fits the profile like a bloody glove. He is withdrawn and has a desperate need for acceptance with some obsessive-compulsive tendencies and is quite self-conscious about his height. Normally, these qualities wouldn't equate to violent behavior, but in the right environment and the right circumstances, you never know.


This novel is extremely funny yet disturbing at times since it lets you into the psyche of serial killers and how they operate. There are clever ironies through out. The author does an excellent job in describing the various "Skillers" and their different personalities and styles. This is Jeff Povey's first novel and he is prominently known from his writing on the British sitcom Eastenders. This novel moves along like a movie, and a good movie at that: it's graphic, witty and funny. There's no way this book won't make it quickly to the screen and it's good to read it before it gets cast. As I read it I've laughed out loud many times, not as much as Ant Farm, but still quite a bit. There are disturbing parts that make you question your own psyche but thats neither here or there....(haha)

From the back cover:

When our unlikely hero stumbles into the path of a serial killer, he has no choice but to defend himself-and ends up killing the killer. Shocked by his own strength, he then goes through the dead man's wallet and finds the damnedest thing: a personal ad inviting the killer to join a party hosted by Errol Flynn. Errol Flynn? Isn't he dead?

What begins with passing curiosity soon becomes uncontrollable obsession, forcing our hero to fly to Chicago to join the party. From the moment he steps into Grillers and meets eighteen "skillers"-serial killers, to the uninitiated-his life is never the same. Their name: the Serial Killers Club. Their game: to share the thrill of the hunt and to make sure no two members target the same victims. With the monikers of old Hollywood stars masking the skillers' identities, their ranks include "William Holden," "Tallulah Bankhead," "Richard Burton," and before long, "Douglas Fairbanks Jr.," our hero himself.

But "Dougie" has no intention of wasting innocent victims. Instead, with a government special agent on his tail, he devises a perfect plan to knock off the members of the club one by one. But what will happen when they notice their numbers dropping? Dougie doesn't have an MO and he's not really a bloodthirsty killer. Or is he?

Introducing a brilliant, witty new voice to the world of thrillers, THE SERIAL KILLERS CLUB is fresh, frightening, and darkly funny

So far I've had trouble putting it down, it is that good. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy and entertaining read and is interested in crime based novels.


I'm out

peace!