by fireballsedai

Marketing Genius! posts highlight questionable and often amusing marketing moves. Read, shake head in disbelief, feel better because you’re smarter than that. More under Topics at right.

This summer, like many parents, I took my kids to see Wall-e, Pixar’s latest adult-friendly kid film about a robot left behind by humanity to clean up a trash covered earth after everyone leaves for the stars.

Kid review: “Meh.” Dad review: “Also meh.” The Movie was sweet natured and filled with good intentions but too somber for our tastes. Give us the goofy humor of Monsters Inc. or The Incredibles any day.

As far as the kids were concerned the best part of the experience was the free Wall-e branded watch they received as we walked into the theater.

Naturally, they insisted on putting on the watches before the movie started. Understandable. It’s free, it’s a toy, and the movie is about to startsohurryup!

The packaging was excessive–roughly four times the size of the watch–but the real kicker was the battery was not replaceable, thereby rendering the watch disposable.

That’s right, the promotional give away for a movie about rampant consumerism and the dangers of our throw-it-away mentality was a throw-away toy.

Sheesh.

Who’s the marketing genius that thought that up?
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Have an example of marketing, er, genius? Share it in the comments.
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Marketing Genius! posts highlight questionable and often amusing marketing moves. Read, shake head in disbelief, feel better because you’re smarter than that. More under Topics at right.

We’re all familiar with the real estate mantra, “location, location, location”. Apparently it applies to marketing too, at least when it comes to Honda’s latest promotion.

Early in September the company installed the “Civic Musical Road” outside of Lancaster, California, notching grooves into the pavement so that cars passing over them produce the tones of the William Tell Overture. Here’s a video of what it sounds like from the inside of a car (and there are more).

Naturally, residents started complaining almost immediately after the roadwork was completed because it was keeping them awake at night.

Pauline East, a local official, stated the obvious.

“Was it historic? Yes. Maybe the wrong location? Obviously.”

The road is due to be paved over by the end of the month.

Sometimes marketing genius is ahead of its time.

Original article at dailybreeze.comSee also:

• Marketing Genius! Promote an Anti-Consumerism Movie With a Disposable Watch.
• Starbucks’ $11,000 Coffee Maker
• Reality Check: How Augmented Reality Will Change Your Business
• Social Media Marketing in 30 Minutes a Day