Coming Soon: Paid Advertising On Toilet Paper

CNN's Jeanne Moos profiles a former College Entrepreneur of the Year and his new business: printing paid advertisements on toilet paper rolls and then giving the rolls away for free to bars and restaurants.  You can watch the 2 minute segment HERE.

I thought this was a clever (if slightly off-putting) idea.   "An average advertisement is seen for between 2 and 5 seconds.," this young entrepreneur asserts confidently. "But one of our ads is seen for between 1 and 10 minutes, depending on what you had for dinner the night before."

But maybe it's not the best medium for some of the advertisers highlighted in this piece, like "Pita Pit" and "Smoothie King."

25 Years of "Taco Bell" Commercials

A site has posted 25 years of Taco Bell TV commercials HERE.  I particularly enjoyed the one from 1979 characterizing Taco Bell as "The Fresh Food Place," which ends with a teaser for the 11 PM local news from the time. ("Is gasoline rationing imminent?  Details at 11.")

Also notable, I thought, was one from from 1989 in which a series of young men in a Taco Bell seem to be staring, mouths agape, at Patrick Swayze's jeans rather than the bag of food he's carrying.

Lipozene "Works" (In "Mysterious Ways")

Have you seen THIS 2 minute infomercial for a fat burning pill called 'Lipozene' over-and-over, too?

If so, have you noticed the fine print that flashes at the bottom of the screen at one point stating, "Average of 3.86 lbs of weight loss over an 8 week university study." Is that really weight loss? Couldn't your weight vary by 3.86 lbs depending on what time of day you weighed yourself, I wondered?

I might've been more right than I knew, it turns out. According to The Thin Report HERE, "The video advertisement indicates that Lipozene is a fat burning formula, yet its primary component, glucomannen, does not burn fat... It is a nutritional substance used for the treatment of constipation, elevated cholesterol levels, and overweight."

The name of Lipozene's maker, the Obesity Research Institute, also caught my eye. The Thin Report states, "Also, this business is operated by Henry Den Uijl and Bryan Corlett, both recipients in 2005 of FTC fines for making misrepresentations about their weight-reduction products."

"Back-To-School" Sales Already

THIS 2 minute segment from ABC World News last night made me laugh.  It highlights how retailers across the country are already heavily promoting 'Back-To-School' sales.  I can't think of too many things more dispiriting for a kid than being dragged off to shop for new school supplies on July 2nd, just days after the last school year ended. 

Like being told to get ready for bed at 3 PM.

TV Networks Sue To Block "Ad Skip" Feature

"Satellite TV provider Dish Network's new ad-skipping feature, AutoHop, enables subscribers to black out ads on programs they've saved on their digital video recorders. When activated, AutoHop turns the screen dark when a commercial arrives, then returns to the show a few seconds later. CBS, NBC and Fox have sued, saying the feature violates copyright laws and jeopardizes the financial foundation of the entire television industry. The AutoHop, which launched in May, is only available for use on shows on broadcast networks CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox and not on cable channels."

You can read more in today's Los Angeles Times HERE.

"Ginsu Knives" Creator Has Died

The man who first brought us "Ginsu Knives" back in the 1970s has died.  You can watch his 30 second obit on the NBC Nightly News last night HERE.

 As I wrote HERE a few years ago, "the Japanese link was actually a total marketing fabrication. Two founders of a Rhode Island-based direct marketing company had seen a set of knives (dubbed "EverSharp") being made in Ohio by a company called "Douglas Quikut" that was primarily a manufacturer of vacuum cleaner parts. These direct marketers decided to sell the knives nationally via TV infomercials, and thought that, to be more enticing, they needed to have a different name, one that was evocative of something foreign and exotic."

Drunken Online Shopping

 THIS article today from The New York Times analyzes in some detail the degree to which online shopping is driven by alcohol consumption, and reveals that retailers are well aware of this phenomenon.

"Still, the nighttime spike requires delicacy among retailers: for reasons of propriety, they do not want to be seen as encouraging drunken shopping, and many people who inadvertently buy products in that state would most likely return them at high rates."

FCC To Ban Loud Commercials

Are you among the 86% of Americans who believe that TV commercials are jarringly louder than the TV shows themselves? I wrote previously HERE about this phenomenon.  According to this segment from the NBC Nightly News, the FCC has now announced plans to curb that practice.  Finally.  Though the ban won't take effect for a year, apparently.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

First Skywriting Ever

The first public exhibition of skywriting in America was made on this date in 1922.  It had been developed in Britain during WWI by a handful of RAF pilots.  On this occasion in November 1922, they had traveled to New York City to write "HELLO USA CALL VANDERBILT 7200" above Times Square.

Why that?  What did that mean? 

Well, one of the RAF pilots, John Savage, remained on the ground with the president of the American Tobacco Company, George Hill, while another RAF pilot, Cyrill Turner, wrote the message to demonstrate to Hill the power of advertising in this way.  And "VANDERBILT 7200" was the phone number of the hotel at which Hill was staying.  The hotel fielded 47,000 calls.

Comic Book Novelties Revealed

What did you really get when you ordered those cheap novelties advertised in comic books back in the 1950s, 60s and 70s? (Think "X-Ray Specs" and the like.)  The authors of a new book on the subject have posted a 2 minute video on You Tube HERE that gives a fascinating look at many of them, juxtaposing the original ads. 

2011 Nominees For "Worst Ad In America"

"Consumerist.com today announced the nominees for its second annual Worst Ad in America Awards.  This year, more than 40 ads garnered nods including colorful odes to full diapers, as in Luvs' 'Poop! There it is' commercial... 'There are even a few repeat offenders like Progressive Insurance with their 'Flo the insurance adjuster' commercials and Dannon Activia with their Jamie Lee Curtis ads. Both were previous Worst Ad nominees."You can read more in The Sacramento Bee HERE.

You can also view the full list of nominees on Consumerist.com HERE. (For "Most Grating Performance By A Human," I'd favor the State Farm 'Thanks For Buying Me A Falcon' guy. And under, "Group That Ought To Go Its Separate Ways," I'd vote for 'The Esurance Staff.')

"Finally, A Gun For The Bed"

The headline, "Finally, A Gun For The Bed" caught my attention this morning.  This 2 minute video jokingly 'examines' a TV commercial for the "BackUp": a shotgun rack that mounts to your bed.  The official website HERE proclaims, among other things, "if you like the BackUp, then you'll need  a BackUp for each side of the bed," as well as, "Regarding children, the BackUp is a rack."

"You'll Do More Before 9 AM..."

Listening to the radio this morning in the car I heard a recruiting advertisement for the the US Army. The tag line at the end promised, "You'll do more in a few years than most people do in a  lifetime."  That caught my attention because when I was growing up in the early 1980s that tag line went slightly differently.  It used to say, "You'll do more before 9 AM than most people do all day."  


Even as a teenager I thought that was an unusual point of emphasis when trying to recruit high school kids to join the military. I wonder if it says anything about changing attitudes among 18-20 year olds today that this tag line has now been revised in this way.

Adidas TV Ad With Snoop Dogg In "Star Wars"

Have you seen this new 2 minute TV commercial for Adidas? It's been running during the World Cup and features Snoop Dogg and David Beckham (among others), spliced into the cantina scene from the original 1977 Star Wars film.

The "Better Marriage Blanket"

In this 3 minute clip, MSNBC's Willie Geist highlights a new product being sold via TV informercial. The "Better Marriage Blanket" is designed, apparently, to combat bedtime flatulence.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Interview With "Flo" From Progressive TV Ads

Do you, too, feel bombarded by those seemingly omnipresent TV advertisements for Progressive Auto Insurance featuring a perky pitch-woman named "Flo"?  Doe they annoy you, too, every time they come on now because you've seen them all dozens of times?


Despite that, would you be interested to read a short interview with the actress who plays her, which focusses on the surprising public enthusiasm for the character?  If so, you can read it HERE.  I thought the only interesting part of the interview, though, was this:

"Courtney said her favorite Flo spot is the one with the 'guy with the man bag.' As for the one that elicits the craziest response, that would be the ad in which a husband lines up to buy a boat, motorcycle and RV insurance, and when his wife says, 'But we don’t have any of those things,' the husband looks at Flo, who exclaims: 'Surprise!'

“People were writing in: ‘Is Flo having an affair?’” Courtney said. 'I was so floored!'"

The Prices "Goldline" Charges For Gold On TV

Have you seen those TV commercials for companies like "Goldline" that encourage you to buy gold from them?  It feels like I've seen hundreds of these ads over the last year or so, especially on cable channels like History Channel and Discovery Channel. If you've managed to miss them, you can watch one HERE. 


In the old days, these types of commercials emphasized the collectable nature and craftsmanship of the gold coins they were selling.  But they've dropped that entirely now, instead emphasizing that gold is a commodity, a hedge against inflation and a 'safe haven' investment in turbulent economic times. ("Gold is a trusted asset that I can see and touch. Unlike the Dollar, the Government can't print more gold.")


Since gold is a commodity that can be bought and sold efficiently on regulated markets, I couldn't figure out how they could sell gold at competitive, market prices if they had to pay for all that television advertising, as well as endorsements from celebrity pitchmen like Glenn Beck. It turns out that they don't.  As this 2 minute piece from MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show explains, Goldline actually sells gold at a 90% -200% mark-up to the melt value.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

TV Ads For Tax Debt Relief (Near Death?)

If you're like me, you've seen dozens of TV commercials in recent months for companies that promise they can help you negotiate with the IRS to reduce your back taxes. By citing specific past success stories they not only imply that your tax debt, too, can be nearly wiped out in the process ("pennies on the dollar"), but also that the whole process is relatively simple and painless. With their paid help, of course. (Paid upfront.)


And if you're like me again, you've probably wondered when seeing these commercials over-and-over again whether you've been a sucker for paying your income taxes in full and on time every year.  But I've also been skeptical about these claims because these commercials seem so similar in tone to those promising mortgage relief or to negotiate down credit card debt, services that are now known largely as notorious scams.


Well, MSNBC has an article today (that you can read HERE) which analyzes their promises about easy tax relief. "As with many unscrupulous offers, the reason this one is so pervasive is because there is a grain of truth to the claims. Yes, in extreme circumstances, the IRS will settle old debts for a tiny percentage of the outstanding balance. But in most of those cases, the consumer is either near death or completely unemployable and without any valuable assets."


"Firms that advertise tax debt settlement services are selling a legitimate IRS procedure called an 'offer in compromise.' If IRS debt collectors determine that the federal government has no chance of collecting on a tax debt, the agency will consider settling for a lesser amount. But the process is long, drawn out and relatively painful. No one can quickly obtain a 'pennies on the dollar' settlement with the IRS... The agency did not respond to requests to be interviewed for this story. But in 2007, it told CNBC that it rejected nearly three-quarters of the 46,000 settlement offers it received."

Whither Middle-Aged Scolds As TV Spokesmen?

Actress Nancy Walker, who played "Rosie" the waitress in a series of iconic 1970s and 1980s TV commercials for Bounty paper towels, died on this date in 1992, at the age of 70. You may not know her by name, but if you watch the 1 minute Bounty commercial below, you'll probably recognize her.


Have you noticed that television ads today no longer feature long-running fictional spokespeople?  Especially the middle-aged scolds like "Rosie" who seemed to be so popular in the 1970s.  Remember Mr. Whipple of "don't squeeze the Charmin" fame, or Mrs. Olsen for Folgers coffeee, or the lonely Maytag repairman?  Occasionally today, there'll be a particular TV commercial that will catch the popular imagination for some reason and so a few more ads will be made and run for another year or two.  But then they tend to get stale and peter out.  And the featured characters these days are much more likely to be "sassy" cartoon characters than seasoned character actors.  (Like the Budweiser iguanas, or the cokney Geico gecko.)  In contrast, these Bounty ads featuring "Rosie" the diner waitress ran for 20 years between 1970 and 1990. The Mr. Whipple Charmin ads ran from 1964 to 1985. And the Mrs. Olsen Folgers ads ran for a similar 21 years starting in 1964.


Apparently these Bounty ads were filmed in a real life, working diner that was located in New Jersey and had been there since WWII. But after the Bounty ads went off the air, the building was moved to its present location in Michigan in 1992. It's still an operating roadside restaurant there today. If you watch this 1971 Bounty commercial embedded below, can you tell that Nancy Walker who played "Rosie" was only 4'10" tall?

"Iron Man 2" Cologne

I've loved comic books since I was a kid.  But let me tell you, if you're getting ready for a night out (or a date) by splashing on a little $67 "Iron Man 2" cologne from Diesel, you might as well just stay home. You've already lost. (Oh, and that "Spider-Man" Mastercard is not an aphrodisiac either. Trust me.)


Still want to see a photo of the fist-shaped, red metallic bottle of "Iron Man 2" cologne? Ok.... HERE