I took note of a couple commercials I saw yesterday… They were both taking something that’s essentially a scam, and packaging it as something positive and desirable.

One was a slick and modern looking ad for uber, showing all these people in different professions and walks of life, and suggesting that all of these people could benefit from driving for uber. It suggests that by driving uber a few days a week you could make a profit of $300 per week. (Some actor in there suggests the actual figure is higher) Of course, some may find that amount of money helpful, but not likely any of the people they show in the ad. Of course, it may actually be possible to make that much or more driving uber in some places if you treated it like a job. (I was a cab driver at one time. Depending where you are, if you work, you can make money at it. You won’t make much just doing it casually when you’re out driving around) They don’t provide any details about how it actually works, or how much of your “earnings” uber keeps for itself…

Another ad talked about how America uses 17 billion toilet paper tubes per year – enough to fill the Empire State bldg. twice – and how one company decided to make rolls without the tubes. They present it as environmentally friendly. Great, right? They don’t mention that leaving out the tubes reduces their manufacturing cost. They don’t say they pass along any savings. Even a small savings multiplied by 17 billion units would add up. Do they still charge the same price? Do they charge even more for the pleasure of “helping the environment”? The point is, they reduce their costs and hype it as a benefit to their customers. “Look! We give you a little less! Isn’t that great?” (BTW - Sure, less paper used is a good thing)

How many ads do you see in which they show someone saying, essentially, that the product worked for them, while at the same time showing on the screen the words “results not typical”? “Hey, this worked, but those results aren’t typical.”

I’m reminded of a Far Side cartoon: “Double your IQ or no money back”, and the guy thinks it sounds like a good deal…