Tag: disconnected messaging

The Purina Diet — How to do a Misuse Ad

A funny status update (fictitious?) circulating on Facebook.

I was at Walmart, buying a bag of Purina dog chow for my dog, in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog. Why else would I be buying dog chow, RIGHT??? So on impulse, I told her that I didn’t have a dog, but I was starting the Purina Diet again & that I probably shouldn’t because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I’d lost 50 pounds before I awakened in intensive…… care, with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms. I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and all you do is load your pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.) Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff a poodle’s butt and a car hit me. I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard. Better watch what you ask me and be prepared for my answer. I have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say!

Purina should do an adaptation of this story as an ad. Many brands could occasionally use a humorous misuse ad, as doing this actually reminds people of what their product is truly about by comparing it to a ridiculous usage.

What is a funny misuse of a service or product your business provides that could, in reality, remind people of your service or products true benefits?

Avoiding a Zombie Apocalypse

The Center for Disease Control, unlike many large organizations, has a sense of humor. If you are concerned about a zombie apocalypse here is the official U.S. federal government response.
Get A Kit, Make A Plan, Be Prepared. emergency.cdc.gov

Also, diverse responses on zombie protection on Quora.

I would add what I saw on the Shiloh Church marquee sign. No joke, they are always bizarre.
“Zombies don’t eat fast food.” (An upcoming series on this).

Both the CDC and Shiloh have realized the power of a disconnected message method as has Geico. Obviously, this works very well through social media platforms. While it shouldn’t be core to your efforts, showing a sense of humor or even mild shock can be effective to drawing initial attention to your offerings. Of course, it can backfire. Many of us have seen a commercial where we saw a humorous, disconnected message and, afterwards, if asked we could not tell you the product or service promoted.