May 28, 2006

Acme Corp. Do something.

Take any big company ad slogan:
  • HP. Invent.
  • IBM. Think.
  • Apple. Think different.
  • Samsung. Imagine.
whenever it has instructions in it - to think, invent or do anything in particular. What a heck does thinking (even thinking differently) or being able to invent has to do with the commodities those companies produce ? What does it mean at all ?

Do they really want to say - "Buy our stuff and then do whatever nice things we are telling you to do" ? That would be ridiculous. Do I need permission to think ? Do I have to buy something IBM to apply ?

"Buy our stuff and then you will start doing it no matter if you want it or not" ? Buying a Mac unlikely will make you think differently. Acquiring different GUI habits may be, but not different way of thinking, otherwise nobody would ever be able to interact with Apple owner from the moment of the purchase on.

"Buy our stuff and then doing those things would be easier" ? Nah, I doubt if inventing with HP is easier than with anything else.

Oh, I get it, I'm probably supposed to associate HP with inventions as such ? IBM with thinking ? Whatever company with whatever pleasant activity ? Now, THAT would be really stupid, just to think that there is an association between buying some piece of equipment and engaging in any pleasant activity. Otherwise, where are "IBM. Think, do you really need it ?", "Samsung. Imagine something not made of semiconductors" or even "Don't believe everything you hear in commercials" or "Trash your TV and go see the sunset" ? That last one, wouldn't it be a pleasure to do ?

Anyhow, TV commercials, magazines ads and equipment cartons would be the last things I would use for motivation, thank you very much. Except for blogging.

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