And lo on Tue, 20 May 2008 18:35:54 +0100, Jim Henderson  
<nos### [at] nospamcom> did spake, saying:

> On Tue, 20 May 2008 09:19:27 +0100, Phil Cook wrote:
>
>> Gods I'm still free-associating "Why settle for being served by ugly
>> people, get your store to call Supermodels 4 Hire today", "Still
>> breathing the same old regular air as everyone else? Don't you deserve
>> better? Install a PhilCo air provider. Now with 5% more oxygen!"
>
> Another good one.  Funny thing, at Novell's BrainShare, they had an
> "Oxygen Bar" set up.  Someone got to talking with the folks who were
> running it, and asked where they got the oxygen from.  The word
> "breathing" was used in the answer.... ;-)

Boggles the mind

>> That last bit came from a cosmetic ad that boasts its product now has %
>> more oxygen... wooh! :-)
>
> "New and Improved" is one that always gets me.  Oh, and "Organic" - as if
> the other option is "Inorganic".  Yuck.

Monster Raving Looney Party Manifesto Pledge #129: Manufacturers will be  
made to compensate for the "Old and Inferior" goods that they have now  
replaced with "New and Improved"

I just heard the oxygen claim and thought "What, is the tube pumped with  
it or something?" I mean you could just add more water, oops sorry aqua,  
and gain 'oxygen'.

>> And it's normally white text on a light background too.
>
> In 3 point font.  One that's difficult to read.

We do have some standards IIRC it has to be deemed as legible on a  
'standard' screen and thus can't be too small, on exactly the same colour  
background or appear for just 1 sec.

>>> I see this kind of thing fairly regularly - it's amazing what you can
>>> sell people on, and how gullible the average person really is.
>>
>> One of them said this herself 'If I'm spending £50 on a cosmetic then
>> I'd expect to see a difference'.
>
> Heh.  Well duh. ;-)

But it does highlight that the entire '% noticed a difference' may have  
some flaws

>> Written statements to Ch4. The journalist got taken around Loreal R&D in
>> Paris and asked some interesting questions about claims, the rep was
>> visibly squirming.
>
> Wish I'd seen that one.  I'd have paid for that. ;-)

You've got 16 hours left if the link works outside the UK, but [sigh] it  
needs WMP11 to play.

http://www.channel4.com/video/brandless-catchup.jsp?vodBrand=dispatches-the-truth-about-beauty-creams

>> She talked to the government department about claims made by POS staff
>> and the outcome was "We can't act on hearsay" despite it being taped,
>> and 'they don't make these claims in their advertising or on their
>> products'. So basically the POS staff can make whatever claims they like
>> provided it's not written down anywhere or broadcast.
>
> Gotta love deniability.  They should send someone into one of the
> training sessions on the products - POS staff does need to be trained on
> the products, you know.

Well they've done it for some shows.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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