How subversive is marketing? Just read and learn.
At work I decided to participate in the Angel Tree, buy a few gifts for a middle schooler for Christmas. I had a 14-year-old boy where all I know is he wears a size medium shirt in men’s, like sports and his special need are “toiletries.”
Hey, great, all of that can be purchased at Wal-Mart. I headed off to the store with my sister and we talked about what to get. At first I thought about t-shirts from a sports team. Well, Wal-Mart’s men’s department was in total chaos and I couldn’t find any cool shirts. Plus, I didn’t want to offend the kid by buying the wrong team!
So we headed over to the toiletries area. I thought about tooth brushes and soap. I thought hair gel would be good, but I didn’t know the race of the child, so I didn’t want to buy the wrong hair gel stuff.
I said to my sister, “Hey, how about Axe? My kids are always stinkin’ it up after PE with that stuff. It can be deodorant and cologne.”
So we start smelling the different “flavors” as Becky calls them. I look at body spray and she goes to body wash.
She says, “How about this detailer thing, its a little shower scrubby?”
“Oh, cool, whatever, lets just get it all, body wash, scrubby and spray. Its Christmas,” I say, “OK, sports stuff, hmm. Let’s go to sporting goods.”
I look at water bottles and headbands, but I thought it’s not a big enough of a gift if the kids getting soap too.
“Hey,” Becky says, “this football is cool, its like blue.”
“Yeah, I guess so, but I got this basketball and its twenty dollars,” I reply.
“Here’s a little soccer ball, its blue too and five bucks,” says Becky.
“Oh!” I exclaim, “and here’s a blue and white basketball, and its cheaper!”
“Yeah get that, since you’ve got this whole blue theme going on,” she adds.
So I get the basketball and football and I start thinking about how to wrap it up.
I say, “Hey follow me over here” and I head to the laundry basket aisle, “How about a mesh bag for the gift bag and here’s a little mesh shower caddy for the soap stuff? This way his mom can have the bag to put his laundry in later.”
We head off to the check out line after counting up the items and estimating the cost, “I think this will be pretty good,” I smile as I check out.
We approach the exit doors and I stop in my tracks, with not even putting my card back in my wallet, “Oh. No.!”
“What?” Becky says as she stops the cart.
“Oh no…. I’m horrible…I just bought the commercial…”
“Huh?” she says.
“I just bought the Axe commercial!!!” and I start cracking up, “Dirty Balls! I just bought Dirty Balls!!!”
Becky and I collapse over the cart laughing by the Wal-Mart greeter.
“I got a 14 year old Axe and Blue Balls for Christmas!!!” I cry and laugh.
“What do you want to do about it? Do you want to return it?” she laughs.
“Uhhhh….yeah,” I laugh, “I’ll do it later…Oh my gosh I’m an idiot…I got the kid a ball sack, too!!!”
Subversive marketing has turned my innocent Christmas gift into a nasty thing!!
Need Proof–I have only seen the commercial 1 time…watch here:
