Others have covered this more quickly than me, but I thought I’d say something beyond what I said on Seesmic last week – http://seesmic.com/v/6XRvg23fSW
Charlie said he didn’t want samples. I do. I’m much happier with my shower gel and play-doh than with a plastic monster a calendar and a badge in the shape of a vodka bottle. If something that comes in this isn’t useful, it had better be completely, mindblowingly, gobsmackingly beautiful – cereal box shaped like a book? Nah.
While the crayons made of soap are potentially also useful, the thing that made my brain scream more than anything was the lametrocious rubbish written about it:
“A set of crayons that are really soap tell a story about how Nissan’s not what you expect.” which in my very very humble opinion is the biggest load of self-justifying, bollockshite I’ll read in the context of advertising copy this year. God I hope so, I couldn’t bear anything more slimy and contrived.
Like Roo, I like the recyclability of the packaging, but I’m looking forward to much cooler and less wanky stuff next time please.
UPDATE: in the comments on the picture on flickr, mike heath says:
“That is really funny that you got Black and White playdoh in your Sony Bravia promo item. err… ‘Colour like no other’ LOL! That is probably a collectors piece, like a misprinted stamp🙂 Bit of a Homer Simpson moment at the packing factory!”
“much cooler … next time”
Well I guess that depends on funding, or an advertiser’s level of interest in lavishing high quality stuff on freeloaders like us🙂
Generally speaking I think I agree that the useful things – shower gel and cereal, even if they don’t last long – are probably better than plastic monsters, though. I like the idea that the brands can tie this stuff online with a little effort, too.
“freeloaders like us” – shurely that’s “strategically important online influencers”😀
Yes, I was sorry that the only online tie-in seemed to be with the vodka and I’m teetotal😦