(TRUE) GRIM MOMENTS IN MARKETING…
During the Thanksgiving holiday, I had the misfortune of losing all of the oil from a leaky pressure relay. I was able to make it to a national chain of auto repair shops and they fixed the problem. While waiting for the repair to be completed, I walked through the retail area of the establishment and saw a product which I still don’t really believe exists. It was a can of spray lubricant which carried the ridiculously offensive name–
JIG-A-LOO.
When my wife and I saw it, we were stunned. If you do not believe me, the product has a web site–http://www.jigaloo.com/en/
It is not the product, its efficacy or its longevity that I question. How did they arrive at such an unfortunate name?
While driving home and waiting for the oil pressure light to ruin the remainder of the trip, I began to wonder about offensive product names which could insult others. As an Italian-American, I first looked in that direction.
What about a fluorescent paint which the consumer could carry in pocket or purse?
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Even I, who is somewhat liberal about weathering Italian-American stereotypes, would find this product’s packaging as lacking in gentility.
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Images: (orange can) via web site; (green can) via customfinishes.com;(pizza guy) pmq.com