# Sketchy marketing BS you've seen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234 "2015-01-29T16:27:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/61 "2015-01-30T21:05:32Z")
I used to drink Tropicana Pure Premium regularly and was amazed that every carton tasted the same, while every carton of Minute Maid also tasted the same, but different from Tropicana. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/62 "2015-01-30T21:06:26Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > All in all, I’ve been pretty disappointed in the examples of sketchy marketing in this thread. How about tan colored sugar wafer cookies labeled OAT BRAN flavored. Zero on actual oat bran content. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/63 "2015-01-30T21:29:20Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > Not really, it pretty much means what it says. Lower sodium is not the same thing as low sodium. There are separate designations for low and salt-free products. I can’t see how this is an attempt to deliberately mislead anyone. All in all, I’ve been pretty disappointed in the examples of sketchy marketing in this thread. Sure it is. I’m able to read English and I’m quite aware of the fact that “lower sodium” means something different from “low sodium”. I don’t need you to explain English to me. The point is that, while they mean different things, they’re close enough that they may confuse some people who aren’t paying attention. And really, most people don’t go shopping with the intent of making it an intellectual exercise or an exercise in English interpretation. There’s little reason to label something with an unhealthy amount of sodium as “lower sodium” unless it’s to give the impression that it’s somehow healthier. It’s certainly not because it tastes better. The phrase “lower sodium” is meaningless without saying what it’s lower than. Yes they often (maybe always, I’m not sure) say something like “compared to our regular soup” but when they do it’s in small letters and often in some non-obvious place on the can. If their intent was to be above board they would say something like “less salt then our regular soup” in large font rather than “lower sodium” with a smaller and difficult to find disclaimer. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/64 "2015-01-30T21:37:07Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I don’t need you to explain English to me. > > they would say something like “less salt then our regular soup” In English, it’s “than”. d&r ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/65 "2015-01-30T21:51:45Z")
Does the Vegas trend of not including “resort fees” (usually $10-20 a night, and while they say they include things like Wi-Fi and use of the hotel’s fitness room, there’s no way to opt out of them) in their advertised prices count? Here’s one I saw at a Popeye’s: a sign saying, “There will be a 79-cent ‘service charge’ added to all transactions”, then underneath it, “There is a 79-cent rebate for paying with cash or credit cards.” Translation: “There is a 79-cent fee for using a debit or ATM card, but apparently we’re not allowed to do that directly.” (They can’t just add 79 cents to every item on the menu, as the charge is on the total order, not on each item.) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/66 "2015-01-30T21:53:24Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > In English, it’s “than”. > d&r Yes, that was a typo. Thank you for the correction. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/67 "2015-01-30T21:58:36Z")
> [@Personal](#): > > In a convenience store last week I purchased a glass bottle of what was labeled “Pure Cranberry Juice." In the car I read the ingredients and was surprised to see HFCS listed. Turns out the brand name was “Pure." (I’m fairly certain it said juice and not cocktail) I’m going to bet it was “Mr. Pure”. The “Pure” is quite prominent on the label, “Mr.” ehhh not so much. Do a Google Image search. They suckered me in once, also. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/68 "2015-01-30T22:25:23Z")
Yep, you got it. I remember the orange juice next to it saying 100% juice or something, and I didn’t examine the cranberry based on that. I still drank it, but with contempt. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/69 "2015-01-30T22:27:01Z")
[http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Drops-Hydrating-Mints-Citrus/dp/B000LUDVTQ](http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Drops-Hydrating-Mints-Citrus/dp/B000LUDVTQ) “hydrating mints” (originally marketed with the slogan “instant hydration for your mouth”, but that had to be withdrawn after being declared utterly falseby the Advertising Standards Agency) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/70 "2015-01-30T22:56:11Z")
Whole fresh strawberries that were labeled as 1 serving = 1/4 cup. How in hell do you measure whole strawberries to equal 1/4 cup? (I admit, Archimedes could have come close.) In a supermarket near me, they sell frozen Chinese entrees in the little cardboard carriers they all used to come in . . . cashew chicken, sweet & sour pork, etc. But when you microwave them and open them up, they’re only about 1/3 full, and mostly rice. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/71 "2015-01-31T02:41:54Z")
I just saw a commercial for Le Vian “chocolate diamonds,” which is either the sketchiest or most brilliant bit of marketing. Brown diamonds are generally undesirable for jewelry, so what do the bright boys at Le Vian do? They relabel the junk as “chocolate diamonds” and talk up how you’re the only company to sell the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/72 "2015-01-31T05:10:19Z")
_All_ marketing BS is sketchy. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/73 "2015-01-31T05:52:03Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I saw “gluten-free” soap at a craft sale this past Christmas. No they were not trying to be funny. I asked them how much cholesterol was in the soap. They looked genuinely concerned. Some people can’t tolerate topical contact with gluten, either, which is probably why they labeled it that way. BTW, cholesterol is sold as a hair dressing. I understand it’s usually used by black women with straightened hair. How about “artisanal”? WTH is that supposed to mean, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/74 "2015-01-31T06:46:30Z")
Samsung is very cheeky marketing its midrange phones. For example, they claim one handset has “6Gb of RAM” Technically true… but 95% of people will not understand that 6Gb is only a tiny eighth the size of 6GB, just 768 MB of RAM. A Byte has eight bits. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/75 "2015-01-31T06:57:29Z")
> [@bump](#): > > So I was looking for some feta cheese a while back, and ran across a brand with a suitably Greek name, and the words “Imported” on it. So I picked it up to get a better look at the actual quantity in the tub, and noticed that the cheese was actually produced in… Argentina! Not at all Greek, but definitely imported. > > I got to wondering what other sketchy marketing tricks people see on products and ads? Anyone got any good ones? Virtually all marketing I have ever seen is in some way sketchy and bullshit. But for your disgust, I include: > **[World Class Marketing and Consumer Insights | Prodege](https://www.prodege.com)** Industrial toilet paper and mouse traps aren’t marketed because they aren’t sketchy and not involved in bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/76 "2015-01-31T07:19:59Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > All in all, I’ve been pretty disappointed in the examples of sketchy marketing in this thread. Yeah. If the gym example really is talking about Planet Fitness, they don’t exactly hide that their deal is $10 per month plus a $30 annual fee. [http://aprilzubko.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/0910\_planet\_fitness\_500w.jpg](http://aprilzubko.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/0910_planet_fitness_500w.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/77 "2015-01-31T12:49:00Z")
I love the yogurt that boasted “25% lower in calories” - on the 6 oz container that replaced the former 8 oz container. I’m so aggravated with companies that raise their prices by shrinking the size of the products. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/78 "2015-01-31T12:58:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I just saw a commercial for Le Vian “chocolate diamonds,” which is either the sketchiest or most brilliant bit of marketing. Brown diamonds are generally undesirable for jewelry, so what do the bright boys at Le Vian do? They relabel the junk as “chocolate diamonds” and talk up how you’re the only company to sell the stuff. Why is that “sketchy”? Unless there’s something physically inherently wrong with that color of diamond, who’s getting cheated or deceived here? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/79 "2015-01-31T14:03:51Z")
There is a mailing list circulating out there that thinks I’m a Senior Citizen so I get a lot of junk mail meant for old people and it is unbelievable the misleading crap supposedly legitimate companies send out to people they hope are confused and don’t know any better. Things that look like official government documents. Things that sound like they are free but really sign you up for all kinds of costs. Countless “You won!” mail that is really selling you something. And who knew there were so many hearing aid companies and all of them seem shady. I’m not even talking about the obvious cons. These are real companies. If you have older folks in your life, check their junk mail. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234/80 "2015-01-31T14:34:31Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Why is that “sketchy”? Unless there’s something physically inherently wrong with that color of diamond, who’s getting cheated or deceived here? From what I understand, brown diamonds are generally sold for industrial use. So they’re taking industrial grade diamonds and selling them as jewelry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketchy-marketing-bs-youve-seen/711234.md?page=5)