# Why does Plastic need to advertise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2002, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080 "2002-08-15T20:07:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/1 "2002-08-15T20:07:15Z")
Watching TV last night, I saw a commercial for…plastic. “Plastic is in the cell phone you use, the car you drive…blah blah” Why does plastic need to advertise? Is plastic in financial trouble? Are we all going to be inspired to be more thankful when we see plastic components in our everyday lives? Who is the target demographic here? I don’t even know who their competition would be…metal? Also, I see this for major food products too, like butter, (“give ‘em a little pat o’ butter”), beef, (“it’s what’s for dinner”) and pork. (“the other white meat”). What consumer that doesn’t eat meat or butter is going to change their minds after seeing these commercials? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/2 "2002-08-15T20:19:05Z")
Maybe to combat environmental concerns which encourage a reduction in plastic consumption. The theory being, hey it’s in my cell phone too! Right! Plastic isn’t all bad! I will no longer feel guilty about nonbiodegradable packaging. Like that. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/3 "2002-08-15T20:32:19Z")
Apparently they never watched Saturday Night Live. “Good old H[sub]2[/sub]S04!” Then again, maybe they’re afraid people will stop using their products. ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/4 "2002-08-15T20:40:15Z")
[Why do they advertise steel, plastic, cotton, etc?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=107698) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/5 "2002-08-15T21:30:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > “Good old H[sub]2[/sub]S04!” Johnny was a chemist But Johnny is no more For what he thought was H[sub]2[/sub]O Was H[sub]2[/sub]SO[sub]4[/sub]. ---
**Author:** ![Mirage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Mirage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirage)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/6 "2002-08-15T21:59:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, I see this for major food products too, like butter, (“give ‘em a little pat o’ butter”), beef, (“it’s what’s for dinner”) and pork. (“the other white meat”). What consumer that doesn’t eat meat or butter is going to change their minds after seeing these commercials? They’re not trying to subvert the vegitarian communities, they’re for people like me. I don’t often buy pork for dinner, but when I watch those commercials have have a hankering to run out and buy shake & bake chops for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/7 "2002-08-15T22:37:42Z")
Thanks for the link! I can’t ever get search to work w/o timing out… I’m still confused that “plastic” thinks they’re going to go out of business b/c of the environment, but oh well… [sub]This post brought to you by…electricity! Electricity. It’s what keeps the world current.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/8 "2002-08-16T00:18:21Z")
my friend and i were talking about just this the other day (but cotton, not plastics). my contention? this is mainly a form of pre-lobbying (or rather, a different lobby type). to paraphrase the Big Bad Wolf, “Why, the better to make the constituents agree with their representatives (and vice versa), when the time for a vote comes up.” If the beef people inundate the airwaves with strains of Copeland (_yeet-deedle-eat, deedle-eat, deedle-eedle-eedle, yeet DEET deet, deedle-eat deedle-eedle-eat_) and wholesome American families chowing down on cow, they will get more positive responses when they poll the populace (“How important would you say beef consumption is? Very important, important, or not important?”). and more positive responses means more voters, so a politician would be a tad daft to ignore the pork/plastic/paper lobbies. all in all, a very effective tool. jb ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/9 "2002-08-16T00:18:31Z")
This is very similar to a question I’ve had — Why do companies like Archer-Daniels-Midland, which do not sell to consumers, advertise? ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/10 "2002-08-16T00:23:58Z")
err, to clarify- i doubt that’s the only reason they do it. nothing ever happens in this world for one reason. my above post is but one conclusion i came to one night. other possible factors? spurring stock investment, uberbranding, cultivating the good will of the american people, past success of other meta-productadvertising (e.g., the Incredible, Edible Egg), and a general buisness ethos of “We **must** spend _some_ money on advertising”, and others i can’t fathom. jb ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/11 "2002-08-16T01:31:11Z")
The all-news station here in Philly has been running ads for asphalt (in the going-to-bed time slot only, interestingly enough) for the last few months, I guess so I’ll keep it in mind for any highways I might be building. This had struck me as moderately odd – and then a couple of nights ago, I heard an ad for – concrete! (More durable than asphalt, apparently, though not recyclable, as asphalt is.) ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/12 "2002-08-16T01:54:55Z")
Things like the plastics ad are being put out by organizations which are “trade associations” under IRS rules (section 501©(6) - I just looked it up). This qualifies them as a type of tax exempt organization (the organization itself is tax exempt, contributions to it are not deductible for the contributor). I imagine they are in a position of having to do something with their budgets that satisfies their charter and keeps their members satisfied that they are actually promoting use of the product. Advertising of that type is probably a very good way to spend their money, from their viewpoint. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/13 "2002-08-16T03:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Why does Plastic need to advertise? _The Graduate_ ---
**Author:** ![Deadly\_Nightlight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Deadly\_Nightlight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deadly_Nightlight)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/14 "2002-08-16T07:43:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\* > > Johnny was a chemist > But Johnny is no more > For what he thought was H[sub]2[/sub]O > Was H[sub]2[/sub]SO[sub]4[/sub]. \*\* or Little Johnny took a sip but he shall sip no more for Little Johnny took a sip of H2SO4 ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/15 "2002-08-16T07:53:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > **I’m still confused that “plastic” thinks they’re going to go out of business b/c of the environment, but oh well…** I’m sure you don’t mean this exactly as you stated it, but advertising is hardly something done only by companies that think they’re going to go out of business. _Everybody_ who would benefit from advertising does it. “Sir, the numbers are in. There’s no way we’ll be able to stay in business.” “No! I suppose I knew this day would come. If only there were something we could do!” “Well sir, it’s a bit unorthodox, but we might… advertise.” “Of course! That’s the answer! Ha ha, I’m amazed nobody has thought of this before!” ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/16 "2002-08-16T10:29:39Z")
As per companies like ADM that don’t sell to consumers, they _can_ reach people that make purchasing decisions. If I weren’t a lowly engineer but a buyer, those dang Visteon radio commercials would have me hooked. “Our days are nights and our nights are days…” ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/17 "2002-08-16T13:11:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Johnny was a chemist > But Johnny is no more > For what he thought was H2O > Was H2SO4. Nyet, line is: Johnny was a chemist’s son, but Johnny is no more. What Johnny thought was H2O Was H2SO4 Just heard it yesterday. (Actually, I orginially heard that line on Untitled! ([untitled.keenspace.com](http://untitled.keenspace.com)) I liked the song so much i went out and found it. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/18 "2002-08-16T13:49:41Z")
I always wondered why ComEd, the electric company in these parts, advertised. It’s not like anyone had a choice of where they got their electricity from. They may have thought they were improving their public image, but that only lasts until you look at your electric bill. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-plastic-need-to-advertise/124080/19 "2002-08-16T15:14:42Z")
It’s an old poem, so there’s one no true version. Why are we arguing for? We can all agree that he will not be Due to yummy H[sub]2[/sub]SO[sub]4[/sub].