You know how Superstore has the “Deal of the Week”? That one thing that you never actually need, but hope the cashier forgets to mention it so you get it for free? Packs of 800 toothpicks, cinnamon scented body wash, underarm incense sticks, whatever the case may be.
Well, it turns out Staples has jumped on that bandwagon, which led to a rather interesting conversation on my last trip there.
I’d finished my purchase, and the perky cashier grabbed a small flashlight from beside the till.
Cashier: Would you like a flashlight?
Me: No, thank you.
Cashier: Are you sure? It’s really great, and the handle flashes.
Me: No thanks, I think I’m all good for today.
Cashier: I bet your baby would love it.
Me: No really, I think my four month old has enough flashlights at home to meet her needs.
Hmmmm.
I recently saw another marketing attempt that also made me chuckle: on the cover of a Botox brochure blazed the tagline: Express yourself.
Wait a minute. Is botox not the eraser of expression? Frown lines? Gone. Forehead wrinkles? Erased. Too many laugh lines? No problem. Express yourself? Good luck! This picture is actually used to promote Botox, because really, who doesn’t want to look indifferent when furious? :) 
Have you seen any mixed marketing messages that made you laugh? Or dealt with someone so obviously on commission you felt bad saying no to their pitches?
ha ha ha ha, yes, who doesn’t want to look indifferent when furious?
I was infuriated when the clerk at the Walgreen’s just wouldn’t take no for an answer about the chocolate bars on special at the counter. I felt harassed to the point that I had to seek out the manager. I felt jumped on, jumped over and couldn’t escape. Poor women, though, I think they pressured her to put on the hard sell. She was elderly.
haha, sounds like she was grasping at straws on that flashlight sale.
A few years ago I got a phone call from a Shaw guy trying to sell me cable tv. I said no, and explained that we cut ourselves off of it a few years prior and wouldn’t even get it hooked up if it were free. He was shocked and asked what we do if we don’t watch tv. I said ‘listen, we just like hanging out as a family outside, discovering new playgrounds, playing baseball, hiking, geocaching, fishing, gardening, tobagganing.” And that’s when he said ” well, we have some really great outdoor channels.”
There was dead silence…and then I giggled. Then he did too. I think I said something like, “so we can gather around the tv as a family and watch other people having fun outside?” He turned out to be a pretty nice guy the second he knew he wasn’t getting the sale. He said he agreed with me, and then told me to have a nice day, outside:)
Lol, that is way too funny!! I like his attempt with the outdoor channels though :)
Love it!! So funny that he agreed with you, I’ve had interesting discussions with the tv guys too about why I don’t need a PVR to fit the maximum number of tv viewing hours into my day! :)