Banner Ads I Don’t Understand, Pt. 8
Here’s a cropped frame from a banner ad in Yahoo’s “Talk to Win” campaign (original here):
From what I understand, you can win trips somewhere by doing something. That’s fine. Here’s what I don’t get:
- Why is Des Moines written as “Demoines”?
- Why is “Demoines” roughly where MSP is located?
- Most importantly, who the hell would want a free trip to Des Moines?
I mean, yay Iowa and stuff, but really.
August 29th, 2005 at 12:09 am
not sure on the placement, but perhaps the banner was indicating you can talk from anywhere to anywhere (even demoines…) not win a trip there…?
that’s what i got from the banner, anyway
August 29th, 2005 at 12:21 am
Well, the second frame of the ad (visible in the full version) is “And you just might win a trip to see them.”
Further, the promotional site says “Make PC-to-PC calls to far off places, and you might just travel there.”
So they’re definitely suggesting that someone could travel there — which, as I consider it, could be just fine if you’re visiting one of your friends.
They still should learn how to spell it, though.
August 29th, 2005 at 12:42 am
Maybe you can travel back in time to 1836…
August 29th, 2005 at 2:24 am
What an unexpected honor! Demoines has joined the prestigious list of the Top 5 Most Important Cities of North America. Who would have thought it would have edged out the entire Eastern Seaboard? Even our proud megacities were snubbed. Indeed, maybe the Miami bullseye is obscuring it, but it looks like New Orleans has been utterly wiped off the map.
So huzzah for Demoines (contractual name change to be shortly passed by the City Council); it could use the increased tourism.
August 29th, 2005 at 2:28 am
PS You’re just now seeing The Seven Samurai? Christ, maybe you should rent Casablanca or Dr. Strangelove. I’ve heard those are good.
August 29th, 2005 at 3:00 am
Re: The Samurai, god I know. I rented it like 5 times but just could never muster the energy to get started, knowing more than 3 straight hours awaited me… At last my shame has ended.
August 29th, 2005 at 4:33 pm
It’s actually a really good movie. Although of course it lacks the draw of it’s Spagetti Western spin off The Magnificent Seven, namely the shining bald pate of Yul Brynner!
August 30th, 2005 at 5:52 am
maybe they’ll be like another company i know and screen the entries so that they can get away with the cheapest ticket possible…
i’m sure the flights to ‘demoines’ are packed full.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:07 pm
Actually thats a common thing for companies to do. I know several people that work for companies who pick winners according to what will cost them the least.
I also know a company, who I may or may not have worked with very recently, that picked its winners according to how much business they were likely to get from the recipients company.
Whoever said that life was fair was in fact blissfully ignorant.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:21 pm
Tricky bastards! The folks at Y! don’t seem to care where you go, though, according to the rules:
“4. Prize: Ten prize winners will each receive round trip coach class air transportation for the winner ONLY, valued at up to $2,500, from a major U.S. airport close to each winner’s home (carrier and airport to be selected by Sponsor) to any major international airport around the world. Approximate retail value of each Prize: not to exceed $2,500 (Prize value may vary depending upon the actual cost of air transportation between winner’s points of departure and arrival at time of reservation).”
Key distinction: I wonder how you define “major”? Also, they don’t cover any taxes or fees, such as “taxes…passenger facility charges (PFCs), departure taxes.” Those can add up, so if you somehow are able to find something that maxes out the flight portion at $2,500, you’re going to take a big hit on the associated fees, I would guess.
Not a bad problem to have, though.
September 1st, 2005 at 2:39 pm
Along the same lines, I recently won an all-expenses paid trip to Nashville (which is more impressive when you consider I was flying in from the UK). After getting drunk with the competition organiser he revealed my ‘win’ was purely down to the fact that I live five minutes from Gatwick Airport and thus the organisers wouldn’t need to pay to put me up for the evening before the flights.
He also told me that a lot of the other tickets went variously to his friends and ‘girls who sounded as if they may be hot’. Dammit, I want a job like that.
September 1st, 2005 at 7:16 pm
Welcome, Phil!
Also, may I just say you guys are pissing all over my illusions about contests?
September 1st, 2005 at 11:36 pm
i won a colouring in competition once.
i think i was 15.
haha. stupid kids. i colour better than them!
AND i won a sesame street tape!