Saturday, June 13, 2009

I'm Keeping My Five Dollars

Today I was standing in line at Wendy's and hoping that I can feed six people for under twenty bucks. My niece is next to me and made the comment that she wants to try their new coffee Frosty thing but hates the commercials. Based on the commercials, she's going to pass.

I was astounded. Despite the thirteen year age difference, we have had the same reaction. A refusal to buy something based on the commercial. I find that strange that the advertising is having the exact opposite intended effect. (I'd comment that it's ironic, but I fear that I will use the word incorrectly. Damn you Alanis Morissette!)

I think back and I remember long conversations with my boyfriend about boycotting Burger King because of that creepy plastic king mascot they now have. (And the Star Trek King-Ons made me shake my head disapprovingly, even in an empty room.) The end result was I love those chicken sandwiches. I'll just give up TV until the wave of ads pass.

Even worse was those Subway five dollar sandwich commercials. First of all, they had two rounds of ads with the annoying song. Then they jump to the "everyday people" singing the song and laughing as they got it wrong. Because that song has entered our culture and now everyone knows it. Like how we "want our bay-back-baby-back-baby-back ribs" or "we'd like to give the world a Coke". Then the "go online and do your own commercial" happened. How dare you insult me this way. I spit on your campaign.

And don't get me started on the Quiznos talking toaster sexually harassing the employee commercial. I've decided I'm going to Togo's from now on. It helps that they have the superior sandwiches, but I shall remain firm on my decision.

So what does this mean that these quite trivial reasons are keeping me from patronizing establishments? Probably that I need to get out more. Or more accurately, I need to stay in and learn to cook. That is, while the TV is off.

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