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Benjamin Chambers writes:
Might just be me, but I don’t hear people grumble as much as I used to about “truth in advertising.” Maybe it’s because nobody expects it anymore. As with campaign finance reform, we all wish it could happen, but are afraid to admit we could be so childishly naive.
Well, be careful what you wish for there, in the secret spaces of the heart. Here’s a couple of examples from the October 1, 1966 issue of The New Yorker of why honesty might not always be the best policy. First, a mild, “Yeah-we-screw-up,” from Avis (click for full-size):
Then, the major-league, all-our-warts example, from Renault (click to see all the fun):
Had it come in the mail, TNY would’ve classed this ad copy under “Sales Pitches We Never Finished Reading.” Check it out, though: 35 mpg. Where can I get one?
Comments
“You can do it girls” — ha ha, posts for condescension!
Also, the beginning of the Renault ad strikes me as more than a little passive-aggressive. “Oh, sorry, we didn’t know Americans were terrible drivers and too dumb to fix their own cars!”
I know, that “You can do it, girls” bugged me, too. The other thing I thought was funny about the Avis ad was that it seemed a bit of a non sequitur to propose a solution (getting one’s rental ticket filled out in 2 minutes) that had nothing to do with the cited problems, such as mud in the trunk, or a flat spare tire. Granted, those were only examples, but I wasn’t reassured.
Ouch, i did not think that “You can do it, girls” had any touch of condescension that i would not have brought myself—and i was not a bit bugged by it… what’s wrong with me? (i mean, except being French… :-)
PS: Sorry for the Renault.