Yesterday I was listening to a Los Angeles radio station (95.5 KLOS-FM) and a commercial came on for Southern California MINI Dealers. The spot was advertising the new MINI Countryman and a particular phrase caught my attention.
As an ad guy, I know how important words are. This is especially true on radio where there is tremendous opportunity to create a theater of the mind. So when I heard the Countryman’s steering compared to a go-kart, I was shocked. Did a British car maker just compare a critical part of their vehicle to a cheap carnival attraction? I was just waiting for the next comparison:
“Rubber tires stronger than a Trojan!”
or maybe
“Brakes that will help you stop faster than a cop with a radar gun.”
I know what they were trying to do – describe the precision turning system that was highly responsive. Great. But to do that with a car that is almost the actual size of a go-kart was a bad move. Just imagine a SMART car ad describing the vehicle like a tampon: “Small enough to hide in your purse.”
What are some of the best (or worst) descriptions you’ve heard for products?
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