# Free Cake = Marketing Fail **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 10, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382 "2011-05-10T11:09:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/1 "2011-05-10T11:09:29Z")
This morning in the office, we were presented with slices of cake, one of our suppliers was trying to drum up some goodwill. Their logo iced into the top. Funny thing was, by the time it reached us it was chopped up and half gone. No-one has any idea where it came from, my slice said “silica”. I’m reminded of the scene in _Who Shot Mr Burns_ where Homer sends Mr Burns some cakes with a picture of his family underneath. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/2 "2011-05-10T11:17:07Z")
It was the Basilica of Guadelupe - they’re drumming up donations to redecorate the fellowship hall. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/3 "2011-05-10T11:26:10Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > No-one has any idea where it came from, my slice said “silica”. Someone’s trying to kill you the long, slow way by making you eat glass. It won’t work, as they ground it up too fine. Enjoy your cake. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/4 "2011-05-10T11:29:46Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > I’m reminded of the scene in _Who Shot Mr Burns_ where Homer sends Mr Burns some cakes with a picture of his family underneath. I think that was chocolates, a but similar idea, yeah. And Homer’s own face, (which he wanted Burns to recognize) was under the untouched ‘sour quince log’ that neither Burns nor Smithers wanted, so it was still covering him up when the box was thrown out. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/5 "2011-05-10T16:59:31Z")
The cake is a lie 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/6 "2011-05-10T17:41:08Z")
Mmmmmmm, Silica… ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/7 "2011-05-10T18:16:38Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Someone’s trying to kill you the long, slow way by making you eat glass. It won’t work, as they ground it up too fine. Enjoy your cake. Nah, the first thing they teach you in assassin school (cookery) is - when baking a poisoned cake, don’t write the list of ingredients on the top in icing. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/8 "2011-05-10T18:19:36Z")
They also teach you not to emblazon the cake with words typically associated with the phrase “DO NOT EAT,” but it seems that rule wasn’t as important as once thought. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/9 "2011-05-10T20:18:56Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > The cake is a lie > > 😃 Hello? Are you there? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/10 "2011-05-10T20:25:48Z")
A lot of bars will serve silica-based snacks so that you get thirsty and drink more. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/11 "2011-05-10T23:39:12Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Hello? Are you there? Don’t shoot. It’s me. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/12 "2011-05-11T01:03:14Z")
Does your supplier sell silica gel packs? Was the cake decorated like a silica gel pack? Somebody already ate the part that said do not ingest. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/13 "2011-05-11T01:23:58Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > A lot of bars will serve silica-based snacks so that you get thirsty and drink more. A little known effect of contrails is that they make you crave silica-based snacks, so it’s quite the vicious cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/14 "2011-05-11T02:29:26Z")
See, this is why it’s better to print your logo on cookies. My brother brought some home last Christmas; house-shaped cookies, each with an edible (if not tasty) decal printed with a realtor’s logo. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/15 "2011-05-11T05:58:39Z")
This webcomic seems especially appropriate for this thread. 😃 [Treat](http://www.bugcomic.com/comics/one-mans-treat-is-another-mans-poison/) ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-cake-marketing-fail/581382/16 "2011-05-11T17:30:32Z")
It was a gift from St. Peter, all the way from Vatican City. You probably just ate the body of Christ. Hope you enjoyed it.