# Marketing Miscues



## JM Anthony

So I'm doing my lunch time dishes today and see a dishwashing liquid labled "non ultra Joy." I guess this is for your crummy dinnerware where you only need adequate cleaning power and don't care if your hands look like squat after they've been in the dish water.

And then last week, I'm in getting my annual eye checkup and I see a sign that says, "Our finest lens ware products are guaranteed for a full two years." So your cheesy stuff isn't guaranteed at all??

Come on all you posters with eagle eyes. What other marketing boners have you seen out there. There's got to be a ton of them.


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## Laverne

Probably isn't exactly what you were looking for, but these two have been on my mind A LOT--

The one company name that I never will EVER get is: "UBS"!

What moron thought up that name? :lol: I'd never want to use a service that thought I was full of crap! :nono2: Good grief!


Another one: a regional convenience store chain was recently changed from "Git-n-Go" to "Kum-n-Go".

1. I will never understand why people think it's 'cute' to name businesses using misspelled words.
2. That is just WRONG! :nono2: !rolling


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## ntexasdude

I had boss once who tried to selling his house for months with no luck. He ran a new ad in the paper with the words "drastic price change" and _raised_ the price $15,000. He sold it a few days later. True story! :lol:


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## ntexasdude

Laverne said:


> ...............Another one: a regional convenience store chain was recently changed from "Git-n-Go" to "Kum-n-Go"...............


Sounds like a drive through whorehouse. :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## n8dagr8

ntexasdude said:


> Sounds like a drive through whorehouse. :lol: :lol: :lol:


:lol: I didn't even think of that. Nice catch!


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## Laverne

ntexasdude said:


> Sounds like a drive through whorehouse. :lol: :lol: :lol:


That's what _I_ thought!!! :nono2: :lol:


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## CopyChief

Miscue, maybe not, but I think UPS's new slogan "What can brown do for you?" has all kinds of problems.

And then there's the store I was in the other day. They're rather noncommital, as their signs tell customers customers they can "Save up to 45% or more!" Up to, or more, which is it?


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## RichW

One of the worst choices was done by my own hospital. Our PR department does a promo video each year to show at our annual Shrine convention. They focus upon one or two kids that have been helped by the hospital. One year they chose to use "You'll Never Walk Alone" as the theme music. Obviously no one realized the alternative negative connotation of the song.


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## FTA Michael

Laverne said:


> 1. I will never understand why people think it's 'cute' to name businesses using misspelled words.


Store names with "misspelled" words make stronger trademarks. If you start a chain of "Corner Market"s, it's going to be hard to argue with somebody else using a similar name on some distant street corner. But if your store is "Corner Mark-It", you've got a good case if the guy down the street starts a "Hiway Mark-It".


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## JM Anthony

ntexasdude said:


> Sounds like a drive through whorehouse. :lol: :lol: :lol:


Now THAT's funny. :lol:


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## JM Anthony

Laverne said:


> . . . The one company name that I never will EVER get is: "UBS"!
> 
> What moron thought up that name? :lol: I'd never want to use a service that thought I was full of crap! :nono2: Good grief!


Exactly! I hope they didn't pay an ad company to come up with that one. Makes you wonder who they think they're marketing to.


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## Richard King

UBS = Union Bank of Switzerland. Along with being a European financial institution, they purchased Paine, Weber in the late '90's which is why you don't see that name anymore.


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## n8dagr8

RichW said:


> One year they chose to use "You'll Never Walk Alone" as the theme music. Obviously no one realized the alternative negative connotation of the song.


WOW! Some had to have felt really bad about letting that one slip.


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## n8dagr8

I did see a store that had a big sign that said "Nobody beats our meat". Maybe they should head to the kum-n-go!


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## Laverne

N8!!

!rolling

:lol:


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## DonLandis

n8dagr8 said:


> I did see a store that had a big sign that said "Nobody beats our meat". Maybe they should head to the kum-n-go!


Recall when we were kids, back in the 50's when bored, we would play telephone pranks. The Joe's Meat Market phone ad was one of the many we pulled. ... Kid's humor. Or page someone in a department store with Mike Hunt's lost etc etc...


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## DonLandis

N8dagr8

ah... "Nate the great!" ??? Your license tag # maybe.


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## n8dagr8

DonLandis said:


> N8dagr8
> 
> ah... "Nate the great!" ??? Your license tag # maybe.


nah, can't justify spending the extra money. I did have an environmental one for a while.


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## n8dagr8

DonLandis said:


> Recall when we were kids, back in the 50's when bored, we would play telephone pranks. The Joe's Meat Market phone ad was one of the many we pulled. ... Kid's humor. Or page someone in a department store with Mike Hunt's lost etc etc...


yeah, I knew it wasn't original I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. There was no way that they put that sign up not knowing what people were going to think. Heck, it might have worked (got them more business).

call the bowling alley - do you have 12lb. balls? ...must be hard to walk.


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## ntexasdude

n8dagr8 said:


> I did see a store that had a big sign that said "Nobody beats our meat". Maybe they should head to the kum-n-go!


 :lol: !rolling !rolling !rolling :lol:


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## ntexasdude

DonLandis said:


> Recall when we were kids, back in the 50's when bored, we would play telephone pranks. The Joe's Meat Market phone ad was one of the many we pulled. ... Kid's humor. Or page someone in a department store with Mike Hunt's lost etc etc...


We used to call the grocery store and ask if they had Peter Pan in a jar. Then we would say you better let him out cuz he's gonna suffocate.


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## cdru

I just came back from my denomination's annual conference. One of the insight sessions was for "Suicide Survivors Help Group". I thought about going, but figured it would be just a bunch of stiffs.


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## Nick

UCC?

Suicide _survivors?_ Then it wasn't a suicide, was it?


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## JM Anthony

DonLandis said:


> Recall when we were kids, back in the 50's when bored, we would play telephone pranks. . . .


"Do you have Sir Walter Raleigh in the can? Well if you do, you better let him out!!!"


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## DonLandis

Have a whole bunch of friends call the same person. Ask to speak to Freddy Freeloader. Do this all day. At the end of the day have someone call the number and say, This is Freddy, I'm calling to get my messages. 

Kids today aren't as creative as we were back in the early 60's. The Little Rascals were even more creative that we were. Well maybe I'm wrong as some kids today are hacking DVD encryption codes and publishing their hack for all to use.


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## SimpleSimon

JM Anthony said:


> "Do you have Sir Walter Raleigh in the can? Well if you do, you better let him out!!!"


 And have him go catch my running refrigerator.

As for UBS - I BM U BM we all BM for IBM (fall 1972 while driving by the IBM plant in Boulder).


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## Steve Mehs

The I used to pull the Bart Simpson, call a place and ask for:

Dan Truff
Semore Butts
Al Coholic
and my personal favorite Sue A. Sidel


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## JM Anthony

Steve Mehs said:


> The I used to pull the Bart Simpson, call a place and ask for:
> 
> Dan Truff
> Semore Butts
> Al Coholic
> and my personal favorite Sue A. Sidel


What's the "used to" stuff. Bet you're still doin' it today!!


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## TNGTony

As to strangly named companies, there is a garbage company with many garbage trucks in the area that say in huge letters "BFI". I don't know what it stands for nor do I care. Just to show where my mind is, I always think it stands for Butt **** Industries!

BTW the first time I saw a Kum-n-Go store, I nearly drove off the road from uncontrolable laughter! I've yet to be in one of those stores, but that is the story of my life anyway.

As to marketing plans that are not exactly thought all the way though...
I worked in a regional chain of mom & pop electronics and appliance "superstores". This company was relatively successful until Wal*Mart, Circuit City and Best Buy invaded. Just as the big stores were coming in, this mom & pop thought it would be a great idea to give away a LIVE easter bunny to anyone who made a purchase of $200 or more if they wanted one. Each store became a rabbit farm for two weeks. Infortunately no one bothered to tell the mainenance people who had a certain schedule they were keeping. Spring time meant spraying for insects and rodents. RABBITS ARE RODENTS!

Well, the next day ALL the rabbits were dead! The day after that this company became the "but first" portion of the local news on all three news stations (you know, when the news show starts like this: "The President goes to Egypt to talk about global domination. The Mayor tells constituents to shove it. And the Reds lead off their home stand by sucking worse than usual. All this coming up, BUT FIRST....") You never want to be the "but first" story!

The amount of protestors, demonstators, activists and news personel at each store outnumbered customers 10 to 1.

Just before This all happened the joke was that a poor girl who got a rabbit the day before had called the main office to say that "the rabbit died." The response from the receptionist who was unaware of the promotion was reported to have said that perhaps she should call her OB/GYN.

See ya
Tony


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## Nick

Looks like their 90 warranty didn't extend to livestock.

Pity the poor maintenance crew, mops and buckets in hand, who just learned that THEY were responsible for the chemical poisoning death of a thundering herd of tiny little bunnies. :bonk1:

Oh the _humanity!_


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## Richard King

> As to marketing plans that are not exactly thought all the way though...


Sounds like something from WKRP. You DID say you are in Cincinnati didn't you? :lol:



> Oh the humanity!


Like I said. Think turkeys


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## goodcableguy

Having worked in a industry that used a call center where everybody knew each other one never knew if the name yo got was true or a joke by one of the workers. One supervisor called in to the office manager as Jim Shorts all the time. Another favorite was Osama Binworkin, the angry customer with a far east British dialect. 

One CSR did not know what to say to the customer who called in named Harry Balls, actual name. I thought I was setup for sure when I was to call a local school and ask for Bitsie Kock to meet me to do a service call, yes actual name.

Todays kids would likely do much the same as we did but can't. New Age Device Caller ID sure put the damper on a lot of fun.


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## n8dagr8

There is a guy in the phonebook (I can post the page, yes, I have a copy!) named Haywood Jablome.


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## n8dagr8

JM Anthony said:


> "Do you have Sir Walter Raleigh in the can? Well if you do, you better let him out!!!"


Prince Albert in a can? You better let him out.


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## n8dagr8

here we go...3rd column about the start of the bottom fourth.


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## ntexasdude

Doctor Jabs? :lol:


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## Richard King

There was a doctor in Minneapolis by the name of Dr. Posthumus. There is a dentist here in Vero Beach by the name of Dr. Rick Root.


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## Steve Mehs

JM Anthony said:


> What's the "used to" stuff. Bet you're still doin' it today!!


Nah I gave it up a while ago 

One of the people that works for a place that where I work does business with has the name of Kenny Kumm. I feel for the guy!


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## TNGTony

My father's internist was called Dr. Ira Skelton. His friend, a Urologist, was called Dr. Peter Leaky. No joke!

See ya
Tony


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## Bogy

My sister went to a brain surgeon named Dr. Bonecutter.


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## JM Anthony

TNGTony said:


> My father's internist was called Dr. Ira Skelton. His friend, a Urologist, was called Dr. Peter Leaky. No joke!
> 
> See ya
> Tony


Now THAT's funny!


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## ntexasdude

We used to have a doctor friend with the last name Butt. Dr. Butt - no kidding. We were always trying to get him to open a liquor store and call it Butt Liquor. He never did.


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## n8dagr8

ntexasdude said:


> We used to have a doctor friend with the last name Butt. Dr. Butt - no kidding. We were always trying to get him to open a liquor store and call it Butt Liquor. He never did.


hehe....I always thought Cox Communications should sponser a soccer team. :eek2:


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## TNGTony

ROFL!!!!!! Took me about 30 seconds....

Cox Soccer....Cox Soccer. What could possibly be wrong with a Cox soccer?

See ya
Tony


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## JM Anthony

n8dagr8 said:


> hehe....I always thought Cox Communications should sponser a soccer team. :eek2:


Nate - you clever dog. :lol:


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## Shellback X 23

Thats like the guy who had a Searsucker suit that another guy liked. Asked where he got it and he said Cox's Mens Store. The second guy got it mixed up and went to Sears and asked for a Cox Sucker Suit!

PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals


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## SimpleSimon

ntexasdude said:


> We used to have a doctor friend with the last name Butt. Dr. Butt - no kidding. We were always trying to get him to open a liquor store and call it Butt Liquor. He never did.


 Beaver Creek, Colorado has a booze shop. 

http://www.beaverliquors.com/

Yeah - it's real, I've been there many times. 

Edit: I just looked at the franchise page. Apparently, the owner is "Rick Cuny". I'll leave it to the dirty mind of the reader to see what typos of the first and last letters would do.


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## ntexasdude

SimpleSimon said:


> Beaver Creek, Colorado has a booze shop.
> 
> http://www.beaverliquors.com/
> 
> Yeah - it's real, I've been there many times.
> 
> Edit: I just looked at the franchise page. Apparently, the owner is "Rick Cuny". I'll leave it to the dirty mind of the reader to see what typos of the first and last letters would do.


I'd much rather shop at your place than the mythical Butt Liquor. 

Okay, another absolutely true tidbit about liquor stores in my town. We have 2 particular stores that have both been around for a while; Kocks Liquor :eek2: and Double D Liquor.


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## RichW

_...Double D Liquor. _

I suppose their slogan could be "Our cups runeth over!"


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## Jim Parker

There's a dentist here named Dr Phil Wright and another Dr Paine.


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## lpickup

It's not there any more (I wonder why!) but near the intersection of I-87 and State Rt 8 in New York there was realtor's office with the sign outside:

Stolen Real Estate

...Lance


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## KingLoop

Ala Bob and Tom

*Dicken's Cider*

www.dickensenergycider.com


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## JM Anthony

These are classics! The names that fit professions as well as "Stolen Real Estate" are true gems.


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## djlong

I swear to you this is true - was on a now-closed used car dealership on Lowell Road in Hudson NH about 6 or 7 years ago (there's a new Subaru dealership on the site now).

Around thanksgiving, I'm not making this up, a sign outside the dealership:

"Buy a car - get a turkey"

I don't think the owner thought things through. That was pretty much the last gaffe of that place. Being a Yugo dealership didn't work, or being a Pininnfarina dealership - they were constantly trying to pretend they were "big boys" and would be a new car dealership for whatever fly-by-night manufacturer was trying to make a presence in the US.


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## BobMurdoch

It's even funnier overseas where language variations have unintended humor. My favorite..... Wanker Sneakers.


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## Papa

Here's one of my favorite sites about advertising miscues:

http://www.engrish.com/

:lol:


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