Yawn, Guy Proposes On Billboard. Oh Wait, No. It's A Diamond Ad

jennifer_marry_me.jpg

In yet another example no new ideas exist in the world of advertising, yet another innocent personal human gesture has been usurped and turned into a a marketing ploy. You've seen the marriage proposal billboard before. It's even been written about here on Adrants but, as several of our readers have pointed out our search feature sucks ass, no previous articles could be found.

So why write about another one? Because this time, it's not innocent. Oh wait, maybe the other ones weren't either. We'll never know since we can't find what's been previously written and our memory is for shit, or as a friend recently said "Wait...what? I remember the body shots...but after that...everything gets a little...fuzzy."

So a dude, John, proposes to Jennifer on a billboard in Kansas City. Nice. Sweet. Whatever. Turns out the board was purchased by Helzberg Diamonds for $5,000 to promote its engagement rings.

Predictably, like lemmings walking over a cliff to their death, Kansas City media went ballistic seeking to interview John and even take donations to help him buy an engagement ring for Jennifer.

Whatever. The campaign, called "That Guy" was created by Barkley to, seemingly, prove even the dweeb who " washes and fluffs your puppy, Toodles, instead of watching the game with the guys; insists on not one, but two coats of pink polish when he paints your toenails," is capable of stunt marriage proposals. Oh wait, only a dweeb would do this in the first place right?

And what the hell is a Toodle? Is this something they do only in Kansas City?

Whatev.

by Steve Hall    Jun- 9-08   Click to Comment   
Topic: Outdoor   

Enjoy what you've read? Subscribe to Adrants Daily and receive the daily contents of this site each day along with free whitepapers.



Comments



Comments

Marriage is so 20th century anyway.

Now, Gay Divorce, that's where the smart budgets are going...

Posted by: Tom Quinn on June 9, 2008 12:18 PM

And what's really bad is the execution of the whole thing: that campaign for Helzberg was unveiled months ago and everyone's already seen it on billboards along the same highway. There was no microsite unveiled, no "ah ha" moment from the company, just a story in the Star. I would expect much better work than this from Barkey - maybe it was a client-mandated deal.

Posted by: Kyle on June 9, 2008 12:41 PM

Awww, Steve you aren't dissing the story in The Kansas City Star cause we occassionally post eye-rolls over you T&A obsession, are you?

I bet if the billboard for a fake marriage proposal had a fake picture of the fake Jennifer with fake boobs, you'd be all over it...

Posted by: Jenniferwriter on June 9, 2008 3:06 PM

Like most teaser shit, this one takes too much effort -- and is too in love with its own cleverness -- to have any marketing impact on anyone. Stupid.

Posted by: John on June 9, 2008 3:14 PM

You might be right, Jennifer:-)

Posted by: Steve Hall on June 9, 2008 3:47 PM

"Dear John,

NO!

-Jennifer"

Posted by: Marc on June 9, 2008 5:29 PM

"Dear John,

NO!

-Jennifer"

Posted by: Marc on June 9, 2008 5:33 PM

proposing on a billboard is an "innocent personal human gesture"? come on Steve. you're losing your edge.

Posted by: tomd on June 10, 2008 10:34 AM