Marketing Promotes Germophobia

A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Mannequin American

Marketing Turns Us into Germophobics

When Self.com polled readers about their germophobia, more than 75% said they flush public toilets with their foot, and 63% avoid handrails on subways, buses and escalators. Apparently many people open bathroom doors with elbows, punch elevator buttons with knuckles, carry wet wipes to disinfect the ATM and don't touch magazines in waiting rooms ... all unnecessary precautions, experts say.

If you weren't phobic before, contemplating germ-fighting products will probably make you that way. Enterprising manufacturers have infused washing machines and vacuums, sheets and towels, mattresses, chopsticks, highchairs and toys ... more than 700 products ... with antimicrobial chemicals. You can buy bug-bashing sprays, a bracelet that dispenses disinfectant and a key chain that unfolds a claw for opening doors and operating ATMs.

Even mild germophobia makes you vulnerable to this vast new industry designed to capitalize on your fears and sell you antimicrobial products. But according to scientific studies, these have proven no better at germ killing than the original products, like regular soap ... and may even be bad for your health. 

Doctors say people who use antimicrobial soaps have the same amount of bacteria on their hands after washing with them and suffer the same number of colds, fever and diarrhea as people who use regular soaps. But we feel better when we use the other stuff, right? So that's gotta be worth something.  

Stella Artois Campaign is Really Fun ... and Scary

You have to try this. A new campaign for Stella Artois beer offers a contest to attend the next Cannes Film Festival. The premise is that "Jacques d'Azur" ... a made-up playboy and movie magnate ... has gone missing and only his rightful heir can be awarded his spot at Cannes. (According to the photo above, it's Dale and me.)

I went to the Stella Artois Web site, and it asked me to connect to Facebook. So I clicked on that link. A short time later, a video started that not only included Dale's Facebook profile photo, also clearly made note of his gender and his marital status. From a technology standpoint, the campaign is brilliant! And it's entertaining. I immediately sent to it friends all over the country.

Seriously, click here to see how it captured Dale's info and what it did with it. It will ask for your birthdate (beer site), and it takes a minute or two to load. But it's worth it, believe me. You'll be amazed and you'll watch it more than once. Do it! (I'll wait for you to view the video ... now you'll be making your own video ... now you're sending it to all your friends. ... Done? Okay, let's proceed.)

Here's the scary part. To enter the contest, I clicked a button on the Stella Artois site, which asked me to link to Facebook ... and whamo ... without my knowing what was about to happen, Artois scanned and used photos from Dale's and my Facebook page. It also copied Dale's gender and marital status. All of those things are instantly used in the video that the site shows you. Clear proof that anything you put on Facebook can be lifted and used by others even if they're not your "friends." That's a frightening and intimidating thing to keep in mind when you're posting anything to a Facebook page.

But beyond that, the video is hysterical. (Even Leslie is in it ... but you have to look closely.)

Sexiness for Everyone ...

Liaison Dangereuse is the most exclusive online-Lingerie-Store in Germany. Their claim is "Sexiness for everyone. Everywhere." And they really mean "everyone!"

Click here to see Miriam Wimmer, a famous German model/actress, in a very sensual ad in which she is truly stunning ... even to a Mannequin American. And the surprise ending makes the piece that much more effective ... helping the company live up to "Sexiness for everyone. Everywhere." You're welcome.

Beer Can Design is Not too Subliminal

Via Copyranter: The design on a single can of a Russian brand of beer may look like just a cityscape graphic.

But put a couple of cans side by side ... or a whole row of cans in the liquor store ... the image is fishnets, garters, panties, and thighs. That has to help sales.

Executive Search - Dating

Here's an ad for Executive Search Dating, The Dating Headhunter®. It claims to be the proactive Vancouver dating service for busy professionals. The visual is rather striking ... maybe even intimidating. But it works.

Not Funny ... Not Nice ... Not There Anymore

Via AdFreak: Calgary condo ads like the one above were aimed at young professional men. Posters were put up in nightclub restrooms and other places where their targeted audience would see them. Not surprisingly the sexist ads have been yanked after an offended person took pictures of them and posted them online, which generated some pretty heated responses before the condo developer nixed the posters altogether.

The ad agency responsible for the posters said, "Obviously our idea of fun isn't funny to the audience we are attempting to engage." It's funny how accurate hindsight can be.