Robbie & Ruthie Talk About Pickles

If you are in any way related to advertising, marketing and communication and have 2 minutes for a quick moment of truth, then indulge yourself in this 2009 ad gimmick, which still "resonates" with me to this day.

I hate it because it's true and I love it because it's true ?? Too often, we get trapped by our own belief systems and world views when we design and communicate products and services to other people. Next time you need your creative ideas validated, call Aunt Ruthie before product launch!

Phone rings:

ROBBIE: Hello.

RUTHIE: Robert, it’s your Aunt Ruthie.

ROBBIE: Hi Ruthie.

RUTHIE: Hello, darling.

ROBBlE: What’s up?

RUTHIE: I’m calling to ask a favor.

ROBBIE: Sure.

RUTHIE: My pickles are selling very well, and Big Save says they’ll put them in their supermarkets all across the country, but I have to do some advertising. So I thought as long as my nephew is a big shot advertising man, maybe your company could make an ad for me.

ROBBIE: Sure.

RUTHIE: So here’s what I want the ad to say... Aunt Ruthie’s Pickles are homemade, they taste wonderful and we use fresh ingredients.

ROBBIE: Well, okay, but we really need to think a little more about this.

RUTHIE: Umm.. .okay. . .what?

ROBBIE: Well, first we need to understand the consumer.

RUTHIE: The consumer?

ROBBIE: It’s a.. .a person who buys things.

RUTHIE: Everyone buys things.

ROBBIE: Right...

RUTHIE: So how is a consumer different from a person?

ROBBIE: Umm...it’s not.

RIJTHIE: So why don’t you just call it a person?

ROBBIE: Okay, so it’s a person.

RUTHIE: Okay so you have to understand this. ..person. Why?

ROBBIE: So we can know how they use your product.

RUTHIE: The eat it. How else do you use a pickle?

ROBBIE: Well, yeah.. .but why do they eat it?

RUTHIE: Because it tastes good. (PAUSE) Robbie, are you okay?

ROBBIE: I’m fine. You see, we have to analyze who we should be talking to in our advertising. We call that a target audience. Should we talk to women 18-49 or men 25-34 or...?

RUTHIE: Why don’t we just talk to people who like pickles?

ROBBIE: Well you see, the perception of your brand has to resonate...

RUTHIE: My what?

ROBBIE: Your brand...it’s the personality of your product...

RUTHIE: My pickles have a personality?

ROBBIE: Well, it’s not the pickles that have the personality, it’s you, it’s Aunt Ruthie’s Pickles...

RUTHIE: My personality? I’m a pain in the ass. Why the hell does anyone care about mv personality?

ROBBIE: But Aunt Ruthie’s is your brand.

RUTHIE: I thought Aunt Ruthie’s was my name.

ROBBIE: And your name is your brand!

RUTHIE: So why don’t you just call it my name? (PAUSE) Robert, are you having that problem you had back in college?

ROBBIE: You know I’ve committed to never doing that again...

RUTHIE: So why are you talking like this? Is this how you talk in your company?

ROBBIE: Well, yes. You see, Aunt Ruthie, we believe advertising isn’t really about selling your pickles. It’s about developing a relationship between the consumer and your brand through integrated communications that create brand advocates by over-delivering on relevant brand expectations and engaging brand conversations...

RUTHIE: You know, honey, your cousin Stanley majored in English. Maybe I’ll just ask him to write the ad...

ROBBIE: No, no....I’ll...

RUTHIE: Robbie, darling, you know I love you, right? And I would never say anything to hurt you. But listen to me, darling. You people are crazy.

Click

Originally from "101 Contrarian Ideas About Advertising" and "Laughing@Advertising".