The mortgage market is in turmoil, thanks to the subprime fiasco. Millions of homeowners face foreclosure, mortgage lenders are losing billions, new loans are impossible to get — hey, wait a minute. If mortgage loans are so hard to get, why are Countrywide, Ditech and other big lenders still running TV ads every 5 minutes? […]
Yearly Archives: 2008
McKay gets a makeover (finally!)
No, not me personally, of course. I’m nearly perfect just the way I am. (cough-cough) But after nearly three years on Blogger, it was time for this blog to get a facelift. (No Botox shots, however.) So now this baby has a whole new look, a sporty leather interior and fuel-efficient hybrid engine. It even […]
Forget the rebate, I'm holding out for a "bonus" check
What’s in a name? Or any word, for that matter? A lot, it seems. Take those rebate checks Uncle Sam will soon start mailing out. If the government really wants us to stimulate the economy by encouraging us to SPEND that money, they need a better name than “rebate.” Like “bonus.” In a recent experiment, […]
Your mustache doesn't match your garter belt, pal
Who says winters in Maine are boring?
Shocker: "Botox" contains BOtulism TOXin
Another brand shoots itself in the foot. Botox, the popular anti-wrinkle drug, and its competitor, Myobloc, have both been officially linked to dangerous botulism symptoms. In a few cases, the symptoms were so bad that children given the drugs for muscle spasms have died, according to the Food & Drug Administration. This should not be […]
Where do you clean up a "dirty" brand? On the Internet!
Waste Management is not in the garbage-hauling business, thank you very much. It’s actually an environmental services company. That’s the brand-bending message contained in the $25-30 million a year the company spends on print and TV ads. To reinforce its message, the New York Times report, the ads highlight: “… the amount of energy it […]