There's An Advertisement on My Banana!

Published on June 14, 2004 By JillUser In Current Events

My sons and I were having breakfast this morning and something in the fruit bowl caught my eye. Our bunch of bananas had more than the usual name brand stickers on them. There was a sticker that said "Go See Garfield The Movie" with a picture of Garfield on it.

That is disturbing in so many ways! But what struck me first was the thought of the ads everywhere in the movie "Minority Report". I think we are well on our way. Every food item you can imagine has Shrek plastered on it. Now you can't even get produce without an advertisement tacked on for good measure.

I think I will stick to coffee this morning

Comments (Page 2)

Dusk411

on Jun 14, 2004

Advertising is so overboard now. Nothing is safe anymore. While I feel promotion is necessary for some movies (like indies that maybe only a few would see, like Super Size Me), most of the time it feels like too much. Hype is built, great expectations are set, and then it's disappointing once a person sees the actual product. Then there is question to the product's failure: people could've gotten sick of it, people can see through the hype or are disinterested in it.

Mr_Frog

on Jun 14, 2004

I do kind of like the Lightening bolt brand idea

OK, I am now going to run to the copyright office and start my own brand of beef, "Mr_Frog's Lightning Steaks".

-- B

Angloesque

on Jun 16, 2004

The one that bugs me is the NBA.com on the backboard of the basketball hoop that you only see if they sue a special aerial camera. I'm waiting for them to do it on the underside of the basket for the new floor cams they have....

Emoticon Man

on Jun 16, 2004

I thought there were advertisements on pretty much all bananas, saying such things as "Dole" or "Chiquita Bananas". You don't think these were stuck on for the benefit of the consumer, do you?

As for how to combat it, I would think that would be fairly easy. If enough people stop buying the product (or alternatively, from the store that supplies it), the people that produce will either have to choose between stopping the advertisement or losing sales. Notice that the ads that were supposed to appear on the bases in the ML for the Spiderman movie never happened?

"The one that bugs me is the NBA.com on the backboard of the basketball hoop that you only see if they sue a special aerial camera." (Angloesque)

This had me wondering for a second, until I realized you meant "use" instead of "sue". I was thinking, aren't lawsuits already getting out of hand as it is?
(Ouch, ouch, ouch- you're making me think here)

Angloesque

on Jun 16, 2004

Yeah, sorry about that. I can't edit my post for whatever reason.

JillUser

on Jun 16, 2004

Reply #22 By: Emoticon Man - 6/16/2004 7:02:39 PM
I thought there were advertisements on pretty much all bananas, saying such things as "Dole" or "Chiquita Bananas". You don't think these were stuck on for the benefit of the consumer, do you?

Well, those are just name brands like Post cereal, GM cars, Folgers coffee, etc. What does Garfield the movie have to do with bananas?!

MasonM

on Jun 16, 2004

It's all part of the mind control being exercised by THEM over us. THEY are the ones causing your fruit to talk to you. THEY are everywhere

on Jun 17, 2004

I agree to the fact that ads is getting overboard.

Evenally, everything will have ads, incuding people.

(oops too late, there is adready logos on clothes!!)

mignuna

on Jun 17, 2004

All thats bad enough, but theres something a bit obscene in marking unprepared foods. Dunno why, but it just doesnt seem right.

jill, i utterly agree with you, and i also second little_whips' comment above. it does seem like an attempt to sully "natural" products with a "branding" of some sort. btw, none of this type of advertising has yet happened here in australia, but surely it can't be far away.

i read recently how a prominent sydney news reporter was accepting payments to film his "segment" of the news at certain places, in return for the publicity. he was effectively "advertising" all kinds of places of varying appropriateness. the faith that people put in newsreaders to tell only the utter truth seems to have a new use as an advertising tool. is nothing sacred ?

great article, jill. the world is indeed going crazy

mig XX

Floozie

on Jun 17, 2004

All thats bad enough, but theres something a bit obscene in marking unprepared foods. Dunno why, but it just doesnt seem right.

I'm with you there. It strikes me as particularly unusual - like when people dress up their poodles. Leave the poor 'nanas alone!

The thing that irks me the most about the advertising for Shrek is the fact that people are going to see it anyway. The first one was great, so you will go and see the second. I just wonder how much extra revenue they can be making from plastering Shrek stuff everywhere, compared to what they're spending.

JillUser

on Jun 17, 2004

I just wonder how much extra revenue they can be making from plastering Shrek stuff everywhere, compared to what they're spending

If my kids are any indication, a lot. Not that I buy all the stuff they want but I know enough parents that do. They have tried the Shrek cereal (which was actually pretty good), the fruit snacks and the Ogurt (that's green Ogre yogurt). They were all products that we usually buy but the kids actually took more interest in them because of the Shrek characters and colors.

I refuse to buy stuff I wouldn't usually though like all the crap plush figures and such.

JillUser

on Jun 17, 2004

it doesnt cost them, it costs you!

I'll vouch for that.

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