What could possibly be blogworthy about this picture, you ask? Good question, and just a couple of things.
(1) Somebody put the tags on the inside of the shoe. It was very difficult maintaining my graceful designer-woman poise and walk while taking those babies for a test walk around the store. The blasted tag kept catching on the other shoe!
(2) This tag:
It says: "Lose: weight, stress, your inhibitions.
To find out more go to kp.org/shoes"
To find out more go to kp.org/shoes"
Back of tag. It says: "Gain: tone, endurance,
self-respect. Kaiser Permanente. thrive."
Indeed.
I had mixed feelings about the tag, and the very fact that I even had feelings about a stupid tag is troubling to me. What sort of manipulation is going on here? Answer: marketing manipulation. Kaiser Permanente wants you to think they care. They want you to think that your health is their top concern.
Is it?
John Kenney wrote a nice co-op piece for the New York Times. He writes about the disillusionment he suffered when he realized that BP perhaps cares more about money than about the evils of oil. The truth that struck me was how we are constantly being manipulated to have feelings about corporations, to see corporations as feeling organisms. I think we all are suffering from mass corporation anthropomorphism and that some "problems" stem from this (on both the individual and society level).
But, more later. Right now, I'm going to go for a walk. It's my day off!
Oh, and by the way, a belated congratulations: It was signed into law this month, uninsured San Francisco residents will receive free health care.
Oh, and Kaiser Permanente, this note is for you: You don't even know how to market effectively. The marketing on the shoe tag shouldn't be directed to the person who actually made it to the store to buy atheletic shoes. So, why should I listen to you? What do you know about MY level of health, how inhibited I am, or how much or little self respect I have?
3 comments:
I'm not surprised you blogged about the shoes. So did you go for a walk in them?
Oh no! Have I become predictable?
I did go for a walk. Up to the café. Didn't want to tire them out on their first day out.
......
cerfamo: It's code for "certified ammo." I've heard that gun enthusiasts love their secret codes, although some--enthusiasts or codes? your choice--are more blatant than others.
Too good to pass up:
tapmxn (tap mex'n): the Mexican tap dance
Post a Comment