Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Terrible Marketing - MIO

http://cf.blogetery.com/202314/files/2011/03/c57e32629a6bf851_thumb.larger.jpg 

I don't know whether MIO "water enhancer" is a good product or not. I don't really even know exactly what it is. I suppose it adds flavor to water, which makes it glorified Kool-Aid, I guess? I don't know.
But here's what I do know. 

A) This looks like blood.

http://lackingsense.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/mio_water.jpg 
Specifically, it looks like someone chumming the water to attract sharks for the Discovery Channel cameras. And. . .  B) when they do this with the yellow flavor, it looks like pee.
http://ssk.com/wp-content/uploads/thumb-mio.jpg


I'm sure this flavor is lemonade or some other pleasant yellow-colored flavor, I don't know, French's Mustard? But come on, it looks like pee.

But that's not even the worst visual problem with this product. There's . . .C) the logo.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tmBdRHs-Ems/TXD_d8In2sI/AAAAAAAAAiE/07eeZoLcFvA/s1600/mio.jpg 

I know, it's a perfectly innocent letter 'M" with a water drop. I know. But if you've ever spent any length of time perusing the wall drawings in public men's rooms, it looks a lot like something a whole lot less innocent. 

Picture it with feet.



It bears a definite resemblance to a crude sketch of a woman's legs and groinal region. I don't know if this is intentional or not, but it definitely makes the association with blood and urine a whole lot creepier.


And it really makes slogans like this:
http://www.snagabargain.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/FREE-MiO-Water-Enhancer-Sample.bmp http://24blogazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/MiO-Logo.jpg

Seem to be in really bad taste.


Again, I have no idea if this is intentional or not, but I'm guessing someone at the ad agency is tryinjg to do a little subliminal marketing.

And THIS:







http://heavenleefreebies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/MIO-water-enchancer.bmp

I have no idea. Why does the center of the "M," the part that resembles a crotch, resting in a puddle of yellow liquid? These ad guys are seriously messed up.