# Lateral Thinking Puzzles - third time is best! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 18, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214 "2023-07-18T13:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 33
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/641 "2023-08-22T00:23:41Z")
Were the ads live action? Animated? Print only? On TV? On radio? In cinemas? Did something about the adverts alienate people? An obnoxious spokesman or mascot? An annoying jingle? Did it try to attack a rival company, but actually made the rival look good? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/642 "2023-08-22T00:35:24Z")
Was there some kind of scandal within the company that led to the decision? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/643 "2023-08-22T00:43:36Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Were the ads live action? Animated? Print only? On TV? On radio? In cinemas? > > **I don’t know. I just know it was advertising.** > > Did something about the adverts alienate people? An obnoxious spokesman or mascot? An annoying jingle? > > **NO** > > Did it try to attack a rival company, but actually made the rival look good? > > **NO** > [@dirtball](#): > > Was there some kind of scandal within the company that led to the decision? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/644 "2023-08-22T00:57:42Z")
Was the cessation of advertising part of a larger strategy, or was it just the ads? Did having less name recognition help? Or were they counting on people knowing the brand through other means? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/645 "2023-08-22T01:00:29Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Was the cessation of advertising part of a larger strategy, or was it just the ads? > > **It was its own thing. Part of the “let’s make more money” larger plan, but its own strategic step and not part of any detailed, multi-step plan.** > > Did having less name recognition help? Or were they counting on people knowing the brand through other means? > > **I think YES to both.** Yeppers. ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/646 "2023-08-22T01:06:41Z")
Did the brand become synonymous with the product (like Band-Aids or Kleenex)? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/647 "2023-08-22T01:07:34Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Did the brand become synonymous with the product (like Band-Aids or Kleenex)?.. It’s many products, not one type. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/648 "2023-08-22T01:18:49Z")
Did they think the public was confused by one company advertising a large array of different products? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/649 "2023-08-22T01:54:13Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Did they think the public was confused by one company advertising a large array of different products?. Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/650 "2023-08-22T02:11:46Z")
Is it an online or mail order store? Did they sell physical products, services or both? Business to Business or Business to Consumer sales? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/651 "2023-08-22T02:22:55Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Is it an online or mail order store? > > **Online.** > > Did they sell physical products, services or both? > > **Only physical products were sold there.** > > Business to Business or Business to Consumer sales? > > **_Neither_ primarily. However…business to consumer did exist there.** Good questions. ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/652 "2023-08-22T03:26:19Z")
Huh, so who were they selling to… The military? Schools? Some other kind of organization? Edit: Or should the question be who they were selling _from_? Is it eBay (or something like it)? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/653 "2023-08-22T03:28:29Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Huh, so who were they selling to… > > The military? > Schools? > Some other kind of organization? OK, so let’s clarify to get you all on the right path. **This company sold things. Or things were sold through this company. In a way, they provided the service of selling.** ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/654 "2023-08-22T03:35:28Z")
Shot in the dark Is it Craigslist? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/655 "2023-08-22T12:57:00Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Shot in the dark > Is it Craigslist?. **NO** ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/656 "2023-08-22T13:10:44Z")
Did they sell their own products? Products made by other companies? New products or used products? Did they advertise the products or advertise their service? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/657 "2023-08-22T14:06:39Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did they sell their own products? > > **NO, not that I am aware of.** > > Products made by other companies? > > **NO, not that I am aware of, but this is definitely possible.** > > New products or used products? > > **BOTH** > > Did they advertise the products or advertise their service? > > **SERVICE** If the progress feels slow, as an outsider watching this unfold, it seems like people are getting closer. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/658 "2023-08-22T14:08:56Z")
Did they advertise a service to… well, service their product, but this led people to believe the product was shoddy, so by stopping the adverts for the servicing, it meant people had more faith in the product? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/659 "2023-08-22T14:12:24Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > > > Shot in the dark > > Is it Craigslist?. > > **NO** eBay? Amazon? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/660 "2023-08-22T14:29:34Z")
They don’t sell their own products, they don’t sell products made by other companies, they sell both new and used products. Etsy? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=32) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=34)