A New One

Remember my post from October 12th about brands that have cornered the market on particular products? Here's the link: http://schmuttblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/funny-anecdote-and-thoughts-about.html

Anyway, I was just discussing with my friend that I need to get new wheels for my roller blades, and it occurred to me that this is another example. Rollerblade is actually a registered trademark brand name of inline skates. And nobody, but nobody, ever refers to inline skates as "inline skates." Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY just calls them "Roller Blades." Kudos to their marketing department.

And speaking of bestowing praise on marketing departments, aren't the bus advertisements for "Live Free Die Hard" the best ones you've ever seen? For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, the ad is a black background with white text saying "YIPPEE KI YAY M(" with a bible type reference below it that says "John 6:27." Absolutely brilliant! "Yippee ki yay mother-f**ker" was John McClane's catchphrase from the original Die Hard, which incidentally is one of the two movies I know mamash by heart (the other being the first Matrix). And obviously the "6:27" refers to the opening date. Few ads have ever gotten me as excited as that one. Can't wait for Wednesday night. I'm positively giddy.