From: Uganda's Pied Piper
Re: Uganda's Pied piper: I hate to bring this up, but the question over lack of awareness/involvement on the part of American public may require self-examination…
From: Red, White & Harry
Bring on your bad self! If some foraign automaker thinks they can make hay out of detroit, just let'em try We can hang with the best, our automakers…
From: The Poison Apple
Unfortunately, depends on your p.o.v. I don' t have the disposable income to indulge myself in every fad that comes along, ergo, I am a "late joiner"…
One day, I was driving across the state to see my parents. This drive was different than others. I was five exits away from where I needed to get off when I got a traffic report saying there was accident on that route. Not wanting to be stuck in traffic for hours, I got off the road early and took a back way.
This strategy, however, did not work. I was driving behind a funeral procession. Not wanting to be disrespectful, I did not pass them. I drove behind them for about an hour before they reached the cemetery. I was able to see as each car drove through the gate and along the path that wound through the cemetery. I felt deeply and truly sorry for these people who had just lost a dear friend and family member. This strong feeling is why I will never forget what I saw next. Directly adjacent to the cemetery I saw a flower shop with all sorts of bouquets outside and a large sign saying “flowers for a grave occasion!!!!”
On this sign next to the text was a comic strip. The strip depicted a person walking up to the cemetery without flowers and looking panicky. The person sees the flower shop and rushes in to buy flowers. He comes out with an armful of flowers and a huge smile on his face as he walks to the gravesite. After he puts the flowers on the grave, the person is looking at the reader and winking.
While this slogan and comic would be humorous, it is entirely inappropriate and disrespectful. The families come to the gravesite to mourn their loved ones. This florist shop made a joke about the funerals and is trying to capitalize off the grief that the funeral goers feel. The slogan is not only disrespectful but tasteless. The comic is awful. While I know that I will probably never see that flower shop again…I will never forget or appreciate their “clever” slogan “flowers for a grave occasion.”
Is this an effective ad pitch?
Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal
1. Tweetbird |Nov. 2, 2011 @ 1:27 PM
I'm not sure which is most effective, their pitch, or their placement of a floral shop across the street from a cemetery. It's no different than a hospital selling flowers in a gift shop; location, location, location. Businesses have perpetually profited from others' pain and misery and they will until the end of time. It really depends upon how one looks at the situation as well, nothing is going to bring the loved one back, and the florist shop is in the business of creating beautiful floral arrangements to be placed on the graves of loved ones. How many arrangements are they selling to consumers on a more joyous note being at the location in which they are? At least hospitals have the opportunity to also sell arrangements for celebratory occasions, such as births. It must be depressing for the workers at this florist shop knowing that the life of their beautiful arrangements are lived out on grave sites. Perhaps this depression has desensitized them, skewing their perception, and perhaps this is why they see nothing wrong with the cartoon, not that this makes it right. Although, I would like to also point out the fact in which not everyone was born with the same sense of humor, whereas some grieving loved ones probably would not find much humor in anything... however, perhaps some of them do find the humor in the comic strip and it helps their grieving a little. Just saying...