I’ve written about how delusional some brands can be.
Well guess what, I’m going to write about it again.
Admittedly, what I’m about to talk about is now where near as mental as that Costa ‘coffee hub’ bollocks, but it’s bad all the same.
So a few weeks ago, I was reading a magazine, a music mag, when I came across this:
Yes, it really is an ad for a leaf blower.
In a music magazine.
But that’s not the mental thing … oh no … what’s mental is the strapline used by Stihl.
“We Share Your Passion”
What the fuck are you talking about.
You think I like blowing leaves around?
Are you insane?
Of all the things I could possibly do, blowing leaves around is probably in the last 10% of my list – and that’s only that high because I am imagining a mountain of piled up leaves that I can blow into the garden of all the people I hate.
If Stihl really share my passion, then they would be talking about Queen, Birkenstocks, stupid gadgets and – despite ruining my life – Nottingham Forest … but they don’t which means this is another bullshit line designed by a planner who claimed it would help convey ‘a human voice’ as well as drive ‘engagement’ with their target audience when in reality, all it does is massively alienate and cause ridicule.
And that’s before you take into account they placed this in a bloody Rock music magazine.
Of course, maybe I’m wrong.
Let’s face it, I’m not the target audience so maybe this line – and this ad – is the product of extensive and exhaustive research … proven to appeal strongly to a very distinct group of leaf-blowing addicts. Though if it is, I have to tell the people of Stihl that I’m not sure hanging their longterm, sustainable future on selling products to the mentally deranged or Stihl employees is the smartest move they could make.
But all that aside, this still doesn’t escape the very fact that this all ends up saying far more about my choice of music and magazine than it does about their choice of target audience.
Damnit.