Thursday, May 31, 2012

What Were They Thinking?
    — My Snacks Are Better Than Yours!

“What Were They Thinking?” highlights products and presentations which just don’t make sense.

The mind boggles.  Who the Hell tested marketed the name for these?

If you don’t know the meaning of the word “jingoism”, start reading.

Something new for SOSAD (Strangely Orange Snack Appreciation Day / June 21), I guess.  But I don’t think I could stomach (ha!) paying for something with this sort of a name.

What Were They Thinking?
    — Mmm, Crunchy!

“What Were They Thinking?” highlights products and presentations which just don’t make sense.

Could there be a worse name for a brand of cereal?

(Maybe something implying you are eating body parts or insects, I guess.   “Mmm, more Choco Slugs, please!  Just add milk and they make their own slime!”)

Bait & Switch: Allergy Meds

Here are the bottles of generic Zyrtec allergy pills at my local Safeway pharmacy.

Notice that the packaging is identical except for a red oval and the small print about the number of pills — identical bottle, identical package design.  (In fact, I’ve seen the display several times and never noticed the red oval until now.)  The only difference is the number of pills — 45 vs. 120 — and the $2 difference in the price.  What an ugly bait &s; switch.  (Which I fell for the last time I bought a refill.  45 pills lasts me less than a month.  The pills hold back my allergies for about 6 hours, not 24.)

(What does that tell you about how overpriced the 45 pill option is, when they can almost triple the number of pills while increasing the price less than 10%?  Makes me wish for a 300 pill option, would probably only cost $30.)

(I’m too dumb to go to Costco or Amazon, I guess.  365 pills for $22.  Sigh.)