Marketing Spin

[captain swoop]

'Whitby Scampi' is the label on the package and their plant is in Whitby famous for fish and seafood. Their Scampi however comes from Vietnam and Indonesia.
They used to use local caught Langoustine but they are too expensive now shred up and cover in breadcrumbs to sell frozen.
All the catches come ashore alive in subdivided containers and go into specialist trailers that take them alive to Europe and London far more valuable as live exports.

[Swift]

I thought for many years of marketing a product that was equal weights of lard and sugar as "50% fat free".

[Trebuchet]

Badge engineering on cars has of course been a thing for many years. The Spridget is a classic example.

When the Mk. II Sprite was introduced in 1961 it was joined by a badge-engineered MG version, the Midget, reviving a model name used by MG from the late 1920s through to the mid 1950s. Enthusiasts often refer to these later Sprites and Midgets collectively as "Spridgets." The MG-badged version of the car continued in production for several years after the Austin-Healey brand ceased to exist.

[captain swoop]

Badge engineering on cars has of course been a thing for many years. The Spridget is a classic example.

Even more confusing with the later models having a Triumph Spitfire 1500 engine.

Even better were the Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II, Morris Oxford V, Wolseley 15/60, Riley 4/68 and MG Magnette Mark III which were all the same car with different badges and trim.

[Noisy Rhysling]

"You can save up to $600 or more by switching auto insurance."


So, I've switched every month for the past four years and now I'm a millionaire.

[John Mendenhall]

Fun thread, love it.

Better than 90%.

[slang]

Paleo.

[captain swoop]

New 'Improved' Recipe

(we put in cheaper ingredients)

Also undersized chocolate bars sold as 'Fun Size' bigger bars aren't fun?

[Noisy Rhysling]

New 'Improved' Recipe

(we put in cheaper ingredients)

Also undersized chocolate bars sold as 'Fun Size' bigger bars aren't fun?

They're having fun with your money.

[Swift]

"You can save up to $600 or more by switching auto insurance."

Or the problem with all the "up to..." type claims.

You can save up to $600. Or you could save $0. Or it could cost you more than you pay now.

[Spacedude]

Bacon - with no added nitrates..........but on the ingredient label "celery powder" which is used as a source of nitrate.

[ozduck]

Even more confusing with the later models having a Triumph Spitfire 1500 engine.

Even better were the Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II, Morris Oxford V, Wolseley 15/60, Riley 4/68 and MG Magnette Mark III which were all the same car with different badges and trim.

I was looking up when the Vanden Plass Princess joined this group of clones -was 1959 with the Austin A60 - and noticed another variant that I had never heard of. The Siam Di Tella wagon & Argenta pickup produced under licence in Argentina.

[profloater]

I thought for many years of marketing a product that was equal weights of lard and sugar as "50% fat free".

well having got my mind round the US staple "half and half" millk, now I see "fat free half and half" so back to being confused.

[Nicolas]

"Gluten free" stuff that never contains gluten anyway.

Infomercials aimed at 3 year olds. In a coma. "Targets the number one cause of the cold: cold viruses". YOU DON'T SAY!!? "Did you know you have muscles in your head? Here. [points at head]". REEEAAAALLLY?

And indeed, all the "save up to" spins. They quickly become a trainwreck when applied by a telesalesman and someone good at math on the other side of the line. Once I had to ask them if their solar panels had a life expectancy of 400 years, because that was the pay-back time in my case.

[Trebuchet]

Head On! Rub directly on the forehead!

[SkepticJ]

"Gluten free" stuff that never contains gluten anyway.

Have you ever seen "organic" sea salt? I have, er, well, that's what the package said.

[Chuck]

Sometimes I see "Original" and "Improved" on the same packaging.

[Spacedude]

Lifetime Guarantee - which life? whoever dies first, you or them?

[Swift]

well having got my mind round the US staple "half and half" millk, now I see "fat free half and half" so back to being confused.

Yeah, I don't have a clue as to what "fat free half and half" would mean.

Have you ever seen "organic" sea salt? I have, er, well, that's what the package said.

Yes, I've seen that and yes, that is powerfully stupid.

I only use "free-range" salt.

[Spacedude]

Let's face it, word games are the advertisers best friend.

[Gillianren]

Lifetime Guarantee - which life? whoever dies first, you or them?

My faire boss's jewelry is guaranteed for the lifetime of the manufacturer. He hand-makes all of it.

[Hornblower]

I am fuzzy on the details, but I seem to remember some sort of partnership between General Motors and one of the Japanese companies with a manufacturing plant in the USA. They were making virtually identical cars that differed only in nameplates and superficial trim. One was marketed as a Chevrolet, aimed at the general American market. The other had a name that appealed to a subset of the public who assumed that an imported car was superior whether it was true or not. Does anyone remember any details? I don't think I dreamed it.

Back in the 90s Honda and Rover did the same thing, Honda cars with a Rover badge.

[ozduck]

I am fuzzy on the details, but I seem to remember some sort of partnership between General Motors and one of the Japanese companies with a manufacturing plant in the USA. They were making virtually identical cars that differed only in nameplates and superficial trim. One was marketed as a Chevrolet, aimed at the general American market. The other had a name that appealed to a subset of the public who assumed that an imported car was superior whether it was true or not. Does anyone remember any details? I don't think I dreamed it.

I can find a report of GM intending to partner with Toyota in 1983 to produce a "Corolla II" to be sold both as a Toyota & as a Chevrolet. http://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/15/bu...-on-coast.html The Chevrolet Nova appears to have been the GM Version https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Chevy_II_/_Nova Is that possibly it?

[Hornblower]

I can find a report of GM intending to partner with Toyota in 1983 to produce a "Corolla II" to be sold both as a Toyota & as a Chevrolet. http://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/15/bu...-on-coast.html The Chevrolet Nova appears to have been the GM Version https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Chevy_II_/_Nova Is that possibly it?

That looks like it. Thanks.

[Jim]

Ford and Mazda used the same platform for their mid-sized SUVs - Escape and Tribute - for a few years. It has been quite common with divisions of the same company ... Ford and Mercury, Chevy and Pontiac, Buick and Pontiac. (In fact, that last one became a Really Big Deal in My Cousin Vinnie.)

[John Mendenhall]

I thought for many years of marketing a product that was equal weights of lard and sugar as "50% fat free".

. . . and 50% sugar free!

Locally, you have o be cautious when ordering a cake from a bakery. They may make the 'icing' from sugar and lard. It looks beautiful and tasets vile. They could advertise it as diet cake, since it is essentially inedible.

[Swift]

. . . and 50% sugar free!

Locally, you have o be cautious when ordering a cake from a bakery. They may make the 'icing' from sugar and lard. It looks beautiful and tasets vile. They could advertise it as diet cake, since it is essentially inedible.

That would go perfect on some wedding cakes. I know several people who wanted apparently huge, layered wedding cakes, but only a couple of layers are actually cake; the others are just styrofoam disks covered in icing and other decorations.

[captain swoop]

I thought for many years of marketing a product that was equal weights of lard and sugar as "50% fat free".

You could introduce a 60/40 fat to sugar version and sell it as 'New Reduced Sugar version. Or, an all sugar version and sell it as 'Fat Free'

[SkepticJ]

That would go perfect on some wedding cakes. I know several people who wanted apparently huge, layered wedding cakes, but only a couple of layers are actually cake; the others are just styrofoam disks covered in icing and other decorations.

A wedding cake built on lies.

[Swift]

Originally Posted by Swift
That would go perfect on some wedding cakes. I know several people who wanted apparently huge, layered wedding cakes, but only a couple of layers are actually cake; the others are just styrofoam disks covered in icing and other decorations.

A wedding cake built on lies.

<insert snippy joke about marriage>

I think the rational is I have 100 guests, I need enough cake for 100 guests, but I want this big cake that if all made of cake, would feed 300 people (or something like that). Of course my thinking is there is no such thing as too much cake - my wife and I finished off the remains of our cake (with the help of a few friends) within about 2 days of our wedding.