# Does the word tactical have any meaning in advertisements? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 20, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587 "2025-05-20T16:24:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/1 "2025-05-20T16:24:22Z")
I’ve seen ads for products like tactical flashlights and tactical screwdrivers. And god help us, I just saw an ad for a tactical bar of soap. Does tactical have any meaning when it’s used to describe products like this? Or is it just an empty filler to sell products to men who have issues? ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/2 "2025-05-20T16:29:27Z")
I think it is an excuse to charge 50% more. Plus you might get Hunter Ellis to do your commercial. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tv--tP1r_9Q/maxresdefault.jpg "BattleVisor Glare Blocker Commercial - As Seen on TV") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv--tP1r_9Q) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/3 "2025-05-20T16:31:58Z")
Putting “tactical” on a product aimed for men is exactly the same as putting Spider-Man on a product aimed at boys. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/4 "2025-05-20T16:39:59Z")
You want tact, call a tactician. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/5 "2025-05-20T16:42:19Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Putting “tactical” on a product aimed for men is exactly the same as putting Spider-Man on a product aimed at boys. This. Those products, and that term, are clearly targeting people (largely guys) who are obsessed with military (or pseudo-military) gear. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/6 "2025-05-20T16:43:33Z")
Amateurs sell products by calling them tactical, but professionals sell products by calling them logistical. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/7 "2025-05-20T16:55:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > professionals sell products by calling them logistical. Hah! > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I just saw an ad for a tactical bar of soap. It better have an accessory rail where you could attach the shampoo and shaving lotion. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/8 "2025-05-20T17:21:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Amateurs sell products by calling them tactical, but professionals sell products by calling them logistical Excellent! 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/9 "2025-05-20T17:28:17Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > It better have an accessory rail where you could attach the shampoo and shaving lotion. As long as it is not M-LOK. Also, it should have a Zombie Survival Paracord lanyard which can be stripped to reveal a core that has Spectra line, titanium snare wire, cannon fuse, and catgut sutures. You know, just in case you get dropped into the middle of Alaska with nothing but a terrycloth robe your bar of ‘tactical soap’. My favorite is ‘aerospace grade aluminum’ which inevitably turns out to be ordinary 5052 or 6061 that you can buy from literally any metals supplier. Or “MIL-SPEC” anything that doesn’t actually come with any traceability documentation to demonstrate that it does actually conform to any military or NAS standard or specification. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/10 "2025-05-20T17:29:14Z")
In addition to the above, often tactical is a way of describing an object being released in “manly” colors (please see a massive sarcasm tag in the scare quotes), normally black, red, black/red, camo or the like, to make sure no one questions your masculinity or sexuality. IE, nope, almost all marketing and an excuse for markup by the advertisers. I say almost because there is/was a semi-practical trend in having mil-spec gear or modifications for “civilian” equipment used in extreme circumstances, with a real, if often costly increase in cost, but when shills realized it’s unregulated, you could claim _anything_ was tactical or “drop tested” (off one foot, into shag carpet) and slap on a 100% increase in price… well, what do you expect? To the point where “tactical” or “mil-spec” or (ETA) @Stranger_On_A_Train’s “aerospace grade aluminum” are all words that belong in the thread about words that scream SCAM. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/11 "2025-05-20T17:33:56Z")
Its a marketing term to appeal to conservative men who hold strongly onto gender norms of masculinity. I’ve seen coffee advertised towards these men. Just like regular coffee, just 3x more expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/12 "2025-05-20T17:35:18Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’ve seen coffee advertised towards these men. oooh “tactical coffee”. Consists of caffeine and uppers. Keeps you alert on long night patrols. To the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/13 "2025-05-20T17:36:27Z")
> **[Black Rifle Coffee Company | Marketing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rifle_Coffee_Company#Marketing)** > > The company's brand is tied closely to its pro-gun and socially conservative image as well as close links with American military and law enforcement. > In 2017, BRCC launched an advertising campaign based on their plan to hire 10,000 veterans. While it was conceived previously, BRCC launched the campaign after coffee retailer Starbucks Corporation launched an advertising campaign centered around their plan to hire 10,000 refugees. BRCC released a meme on social media that juxtaposed an image of IS... > The company’s brand is tied closely to its pro-gun and [socially conservative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism_in_the_United_States) image as well as close links with [American military](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_military) and [law enforcement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_the_United_States). ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/14 "2025-05-20T17:39:52Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Does tactical have any meaning when it’s used to describe products like this? Or is it just an empty filler to sell products to men who have issues? Black. It’s black matte. Referencing “Black Rifle Coffee” above, the “black rifle” thing is an element of gun culture where they mock people who don’t know that [this](https://checkpointcharlies.com/product/marlin-model-60w-22lr-semi-auto-rifle-4-06064-bl/) and [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-15%E2%80%93style_rifle) are more or less the same thing. The joke is that the design and capabilities of a gun are irrelevant because “liberals are just afraid of black rifles”. But by the same token, you notice that gun fans don’t buy them in pink or gray or wood furnishings either. Only black matte will do. And it’s exactly for the reason they joke about, because it looks scarier. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/15 "2025-05-20T17:57:05Z")
Tactical can mean one of three things: 1. It’s green/camo 2. It’s expensive 3. It’s a doodad you used to buy from a SkyMall magazine ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/16 "2025-05-20T18:04:18Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > But by the same token, you notice that gun fans don’t buy them in pink or gray or wood furnishings either. Only black matte will do. And it’s exactly for the reason they joke about, because it looks scarier. Actually, if you are truly ‘tactical’, you paint your gun coyote brown or in an [A-TAC camouflage pattern](https://camopedia.org/index.php/A-TACS). Then buy some cheap NODS and walk around with flipped up attached to your helmet all the time because nothing looks cooler than walking around with two pairs of binocs hanging off your head and catching every single time you get in or out of a vehicle. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/17 "2025-05-20T18:15:36Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > mil-spec gear It should be noted that “mil-spec” is a real thing. However, it’s literally just a generic purchasing requirement, like a “spec” that something be a given pantone color. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/18 "2025-05-20T18:27:21Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Amateurs sell products by calling them tactical, but professionals sell products by calling them logistical. If I might correct you: Sellers sell products to amateurs by calling them tactical, and they sell products to professionals by calling them logistical. ---
**Author:** ![TheTyrant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thetyrant/32/19111_2.png) [@TheTyrant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTyrant)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/19 "2025-05-20T18:27:38Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > However, it’s literally just a generic purchasing requirement, like a “spec” that something be a given pantone color. Yeah, I work in the development and test of submarine sonar and our product alone has tens of thousands of requirements. You could probably make up _any_ random attribute and it meets _some_ product’s requirement _somewhere_ haha. (Now it may not be at all applicable to what you’re actually selling, but hey that isn’t the point.) ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587/20 "2025-05-20T18:27:42Z")
Very true, and I did state that there is a case for _some_ of the military specifications to have applications to civilian gear in some cases. But as it’s applied currently, and in the circumstances of the thread, yeah, it’s lost all meaning - because as you say, I can have something that meets ONE specification, while ignoring the rest. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-tactical-have-any-meaning-in-advertisements/1018587.md?page=2)