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From: chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (chris williams)
Date: Wed, 24 Aug 94 22:37 CDT
Subject: Re: Fruitopia
To: love-hounds@uunet.uu.net
In article <willslvr.23.0001FCF8@xnet.com> willslvr@xnet.com (Will E. Silver) writes:
>
>I have to say that, despite having music by Kate, I do not like the Frutopia
>ad campaign.
>
>I mean, here they are litterally spending millions of dollars to
>get us to drink (basically) fructose with coolaide in it. Millions of dollars
>on what... it isn't perticularly good for you, it does nothing for the <mind>
><body> <planet>. Actually, when they talk about Zippy Fruit Drink saving the
>planet, I am ofended. REALLY offended. This is, after all Minute Maid, which
>is part of the Coca-Cola company. For all the pro-planet rhetoric it is just
>colored water and apple juice (I think that it does have other flavors in it).
>
>So, I'll listen to the music, but I really REALLY hate the ads.
When was the last time you saw a major ad campaign for a product that
was from an entirely ethical company for a product of complete
integrity? If Fruitopia was beyond reproach, they wouldn't have to spend
30 million dollars trying to sell the stuff. People would line up to
hand their money over. Yes, it is obnoxious. Yes, the bottles are
covered with silly pseudo-environmentalist verbiage, faux peace'n'love
crap and a pretty poor imitation of Peter Max artwork. People will vote
with their pocketbooks. Studies have shown that most people buy based
on personal recommendations, not TV ads. What do any of us care *what*
the sort of fools who would be persuaded to drink one fruit drink over
another based on a TV ad drink? The simple fact is: an ad agency with a
track record for producing fairly innovative adverts had the
insight to approach Kate Bush to see if she would do some music.
They had the good taste to not ask her to do anything overtly
"commercial." And it was for a giant client which ensured
that her music would be heard by almost every US TV viewer. And
that last made sure that Kate will get a large chunk of change. Two
things are almost certain; more people will hear the Fruitopia spots
than have ever heard a single song from any of Kate's albums
(this is a neutral fact, neither good nor bad), Kate may well make
more money from these mini-songs than she has from almost all
of her albums.
Kate acquitted herself well. She produced nine really intriguing
short pieces of music that even friends who aren't into Kate like.
Nobody has to drink the stuff. You are perfectly welcome to close
your eyes, enjoy the music, and take a sip of a beverage of your
choice from some small firm that treats it's employees and the
planet well, and have a good laugh at the suckers who paid thousands
of dollars to try to persuade you to drink Fruitopia.
For my part, I'm glad that they are doing it. I see the ads on
my favorite TV show, Mystery Science Theatre 3000. It pays for
the show, and frankly is *far* better than the horrible ads that
usually appear on this show (Mentos! ARGH!) This is the cost of a
market-driven economy.
Chris Williams of
Chris'n'Vickie of Chicago
chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (his)
vickie@njin.rutgers.edu (hers)