goldengod

Soon, we may not be able to escape these types of intrusive ads by shutting off the computer. The New York Times posted a news article (link) yesterday about CBS’ plans to have ads for their upcoming fall lineup of shows laser etched onto thirty-five million eggs.

Am I the only one who suddenly feels like I’m on the set of a MAD TV sketch gone horribly horribly wrong? I keep expecting Phil Lamarr to walk in wearing a costume that says ‘Popup Ad’ or ‘Spyware’ and start regaling me with tales of the cancer-healing benefits of watching CSI (Thursdays at 8 on CBS).

“The network plans to announce today that it will place laser imprints of its trademark eye insignia, as well as logos for some of its shows, on eggs — 35 million of them in September and October. CBS’s copywriters are referring to the medium as “egg-vertising,” hinting at the wordplay they have in store.“

The model can definitely be likened to a form of guerrilla advertising inasmuch as it is related to advertising appearing in a very unexpected place. People naturally become desensitized to the presence of continual advertising on television, on the Internet, and while driving around town. They even expect it on the packaging of food products, such as milk containers and boxes of crackers. Most often ads to convince you to buy more of the same product, but there are the occasional cross-promotional ads thrown into the mix.

However once you cross the line from stencilling packaging to laser-etching the food products themselves, you cross a subtle but important line in someones mind into the place where they don’t expect to find advertising. The article quotes George Schweitzer, president of the CBS marketing group as stating that “The best thing about the egg concept was its intrusiveness.“

I’m sorry, perhaps I’m a little confused. The best thing about your new campaign is that it forces it’s way in inappropriately, without invitation?

While this isn’t as offensive, I’m reminded of the intrusiveness of Acclaims infamous graveyard advertising or even Sony’s fake tourist campaign to sell phones. Just once, I’d really like to go a month without reading about some horrifying new advertising initiative that I’m subjected to without even so much as compensation (cheaper eggs? free omelette day?) that we’re all just going to sit here and take lying down.

I’m glad to be Canadian, if for no other reason than it takes at least a couple months longer for this crap to come this far north.