Lady's Choice brand recycles another mayonnaise brand's slogan

For a number of years we've become accustomed to the following taglines from leading mayonnaise brand Lady's Choice:

• It's time for real.
• I choose real.

Sounds like a Lady's Choice-led revolution, a step away from the usual, something to stand up for and believe in, right? Then what's this?

Hellmann's Mayonnaise is Unilever's substitute brand name for Best Foods in other countries, and we find here that it uses the same slogan. There is no revolution, no movement, no paradigm shift. Other than milking the slogan, I don't know what to call it. (I don't see this as any different from the false revolution another big company is trying to enjoin mothers with, saying that kids these days don't get enough fruits and veggies based on the food pyramid. So what do they do? They tell moms to buy their milk brand. Huh?!)

Is it really about eating healthy, "real" food? Last time I checked, mayonnaise is used on hotdogs and other types of sausage, and even coldcuts from odd parts of the animal that people wouldn't eat any other way. Mayonnaise is used as dip for french fries, hashbrown, anything deep fried. It even fattens up an otherwise healthy salad. Nothing "real" there except the struggle between Unilever and Kraft to try and OWN the word "real" in the mind of consumers when they think of dips and dressings.

When consumers complain, companies should listen -- well.

While looking for additional information on underarm deodorants and antiperspirants, I stumbled upon an interesting comment thread.

It's about a specific variant of Dove deodorant formulated for people with sensitive skin, which as some users noticed seem to have been reformulated much to their "irritation".

What got my attention here is the story about how the product manufacturer, Unilever, responded to a user's complaint.

Here's the story from The Consumerist.

It's worth noting that most of the commenters on that thread we're really pissed about having a difficult time finding a deodorant that doesn't irritate the skin.
I think deodorant makers should seriously consider phasing out their antiperspirants in favor of milder deodorants.

Laines
August 11, 2010 9:52 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

I'm pissed about the changes in this product, also. It was the only one I had found that didn't leave my kid looking like a burn victim under her arms. We'll be searching for a new deodorant that doesn't have all the additives and perfumes.

If you happen to be an antiperspirant user, do consider switching to milder deodorants. Those antiperspirants are bad for you. Love your underarms. Don't kill your kili-kili.

Going Green: Is it For Real?

I left a comment last night on ta post over at manilatimes.net.  It's about Unilever and its supposed shift to greener operations.

I personally do not believe the company has done enough to offset the negative impact of its operations on the environment. There's still much to be done.

In an attempt to add a dissenting view of the press release entitled "Unilever Philippines: Green makes good business", I posted a little comment.  Unfortunately, up to now my comment appears to be still under moderation. It's also possible it was deemed inappropriate.

While thinking about my comment's status, I realized that big companies like Unilever clearly have some control over how they are reported on media. The possibility is very real considering that these big companies are among the biggest sources of revenue of media companies.

Just imagine how it would be for a media company to keep a balanced view. Can you imagine the Kapuso and Kapamilya networks going all out in airing negative reports about companies such as Univeler. If they were to do such a thing they could easily lose out on much needed advertising revenue from these companies.

Anyway, here's an excerpt from that press release:

Greener operations. One notable effort is the company’s wastewater treatmentfacility in its manufacturing plant in Paco, Manila which has been in place since 1994. Wastewater from plant operations go through several processes—including a bath of germ-killing natural bacteria—to make sure that nontoxic residue reaches the nearby 25-kilometer waterway which ultimately flows into the Pasig River. The whole system is so effective that, in fact, the treated water also becomes the habitat of the company’s koi fishes. Unilever Philippines has also heavily invested in solid waste management. In 2003, it began Project Eliminate to minimize the need for an on-site landfill. Through conversion and recycling programs, the company completely cleared the dumpsite within two years, and now uses the extra space as a parking lot. Recently, the company won the Grandmaster award at the country’s first Zero Basura Olympics for another one of its solid waste management initiatives. The project makes use of “green” technology to convert waste sachets and other plastic packaging materials into powder material used in making bricks and pavers that are then donated to Gawad Kalinga to help build homes. 

So what's your take on this issue? Do you agree that Unilever's operations are "green" enough?

I wonder what Greenpeace has to say about this.

Sex in Advertising

There's no denying it. The truth in advertising is that sex sells. Be it on TV, radio, print, or the internet, if you want your company to be noticed, sex is the way to go.

But should you as a company owner take this path in your effort to promote your company? If you believe that there's no sense in reinventing the wheel then you probably should. But should you considering that in this day and age all we ever see in media is sex, sex and more sex? Can you not be different?

I'm no hypocrite. I just don't think it's good that media is inundated with too much sex especially since our children also have access to them. Have you ever thought how sex-laden advertising messages affect how our children see the world around them?

Here's an interesting video that drives home my point.