Cookie Monster takes the cake

It's probably mean-spirited of us, but the story of the Detroit Girl Scout who broke the record for cookie sales, selling over 17,000 boxes of them, sets our teeth on edge: "When I was in third grade, the top seller was 10,176. ... I turned to my mother and said, 'That's going to be me one day,' and it took me seven years," she says. What a lifeless brat.

Still, we can't help but admire her entrepreneurial tenacity:

"I know how to get people to buy more," said Jennifer, a sophomore at Edsel Ford High School. "If they buy two boxes and they hand me a 10, I'd be like, 'For 50 cents more, you can get three,' because three boxes are $10.50."

Way to go, as they say in Wisconsin. Here's a young woman who's worked out that the average consumer, once cleverly cornered, can be taken for a complete cunt. Not only that, but many will even contribute to their own mortification. Take, as further evidence, the real-life Toronto focus groups bamboozled by Shreddies for this ad campaign into taking part in market research for a new diamond-shaped variant of the cereal. These are apparently the kind of people who would willingly buy wicker watering cans, and wonder why they're so cheap.

Keep your eyes peeled and your hand on your hatchet because this trend towards the disingenuous exploitation of unassuming punters is evolving into an advertising art form, to the point where already-loyal customers are falling prey to the abasement inflicted on them by the brands they love. You might call it the Josef Fritzl Factor and it's heading to a High Street near you. It's only a matter of time before someone fails to see the funny side and sues.

Picture of Cookie Monster cupcakes from some fat chick on Flickr.

Written by Dickie on 23 May 2008 3:48 PM. Permalink