Selling fundamentals 101 says (and of course I’m winging it here), “Identifying the problem is the first step to pitching a product that will fix it.”
Okay. Snuggie commercials show people writhing in agony because they chose a towel-sized shred of fabric for a sofa blanket. Their legs churn like those of sleeping dogs dreaming of squirrels. They toss and turn. They can’t cover their arms and still cover their legs and they wouldn’t even dream of snacking on popcorn at the same time.
But a Snuggie is a huge, sleeved, backwards-robe-of-a-sofa-throw that is the fabric incarnation of the Hindu god Xanax. Delight, warmth, and popcorn. You can even be old and enjoy a Snuggie.
Bear with me–this is just getting good.
I remember, years ago, an art history lecture on contemporary art (with UofL’s brilliantly digressive Jay Kloner) that touched on consumerism. We were talking about Jeff Koons and James Rosenquist and maybe Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box. Then we were talking about GE’s lightbulbs (you know they must be able to make longer-lasting bulbs, yet they keep us in CHAINS!) and finally we get to baking soda.
You see, there was a time when baking soda was used almost exclusively for baking and cooking. Problem was, the industry was flat. How do you sell more of the stuff?
Then came refrigerators and someone in a certain industry convinced us that these refrigerators stank and that only the remarkable odor-capturing qualities of baking soda would save us from the embarrassment of Funky Fridge during cocktail parties. Next thing we know we’re putting baking soda in every room of the house, in every closet, cabinet, and shoe rack. Need better results? We make sure to replace each box once a month.
Lesson: a flat-sales industry can remake itself as a good subscription service. Kinda scarry.
The real coup, though, was convincing us that our kitchen drains harbored dreadful malodorous fumes. Solution: Buy baking soda, bring it home, and immediately POUR IT DOWN YOUR DRAIN! That is a winner.
The box (pictured at the top) is a veritable Wheaties box showing a big daddy among advertising success stories. The copy on the box reminds us that there are hundreds of uses, but follows that statement with a “:” and then a kitchen sink with a nimbus of holiness. There might be hundreds of ways to use this product, but wouldn’t you rather just throw it away?
Kudos, Arm and Hammer, for having the stones to remind us that yes, you won a long time ago. We consumers are ever your thralls.