I don’t know if this is true or a conspiracy story…
Up there with a flat earth and Area 51.
But it’s a great tale.
It’s the late 1950s and the posh offices of Procter & Gamble are about as cheery as a British Summer.
The secret crystal ball predicts, shampoo sales plunging due to the crew-cut frenzy.
Yep, you read that right – crew-cut-frenzy.
Great name for a band, but I digress.
Genius minds surround a boat-shaped table, steering the Procter & Gamble ship.
Silk ties are loosened, shirt sleeves are rolled and expressions are as grim as an empty playground.
They’ve re-crunched the numbers and realise how a simple shampoo slump could wreck their dreams of sending their kids to Ivy League schools and owning a house in The Hamptons.
But wait, here comes the plot twist…
At the far end of the table is a fellow named Quimby, a bit of a mystery man. He throws his hand up like he’s back in school.
‘Hey, gang,’ his voice quivering with a mix of nerves and excitement, ‘what if we tell folks: wash, rinse – then… repeat?”
Cue the mood swing – from glum to ka-ching!
Twice as much washing = twice the shampoo = twice the profit.
Double bubble – literally.
I wonder what else we buy and do that we don’t need?
Must water be bought in bottles?
Is ‘after sun’ essential?
Should you pay for additional ‘collision waiver damage’?
Do beds need cushions? 🙄
What did you do before Amazon?
Air fryers? 😉
How much do we do what we’re told?
Which becomes doing what we’ve always done?
I’d love to know your thoughts. Think wider than products and services, add habits and behaviours.
We’ll send a copy of my new limited edition book 17 blue to our favourite. Please add your comments below.
Only one week left
The new edition of my book 17 is published on September 17th.
Speaking of 17 blue (tenuous link) the new edition of my book 17 is published on September 17th.
You don’t need a copy 😉.
But you should order one:
There are 6 new chapters
Every page is updated
A limited edition, 17 blue available
Each copy is numbered and signed
And it’s a fiver less than the original!
Take a look at the new edition of 17 here.
Be Brilliant!
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It’s a commercial world.
We are told our cats and dogs must be vaccinated every year….if we do not then their insurance can be invalidated. But do they need it EVERY year? Even if they are house cats who never go out. Suits the vets, suits the insurance company. But is it really needed? Some say not but its always been this way. The question I have is how to they make vaccines that only last one year?
Clothes conditioner.
Dog coats.
Bobble hats on riding helmets.
Bread makers.
Cushions.
Every ‘Best Before’ date ever!! What a scam. It has to be walking out of it’s own accord for me to throw food out!
Throwing away opened tins of pet food at the end of the day
Did you know that Listerine and those types of mouthwash were “invented” in the 60s for a consumers market?
I worked for Coca-Cola for many years.
Question: How do we increase the sales of red can Coke.
Day Parts is the answer:
Breakfast : for those who don’t drink coffee but want a caffeine kick in the morning:
Mid Morning : A caffeine pick me up.
Lunch: A refreshing drink with your meal.
Mid afternoon: When you’re low on energy – a caffeine pick me up.
Dinner : A refreshing drink with your meal.
Movie Time – perfect with popcorn and maybe a pizza.
On a slightly different note, you’ll very rarely, if ever, see a supermarket promotion for toothpaste, it’s not very “expandable” (marketing babble) meaning you only clean your teeth so many times a day.
Torturing myself on Hemingway until my paragraph looks good on there but doesn’t make sense anymore!!!
I was born three years after WW11 finally came to end. My mother fed me from ner breast, plus government sponsored concentrated orange juice and codliver oil. What little food was available could be bought, but limited by way of rationing. Everybody was in the same boat. It wasn’t until 1953, eight years after our marvellous victory that rationing finally came to an end. Sounds grim now, but there were no Mc Donalds then… kebabs and fast food hadn’t arrived meaning most households served wholesome food, even though it was a struggle. Hence… it was probably the most healthy time ever experience by the national public. No obesity and general germs in the form of whooping cough, measels etc, allowed to spread to give natural immunity. No hysteria issued by government propaganda. Maybe those days were not so bleak after all!
We line the pockets of the big pharmaceutical companies by unquestioningly taking booster shot after booster shot with everyone seemingly forgetting we have an innate immune system.
I always wanted a diamond engagement ring and the theory was it should cost no less than 3 months wage of your intended. Who created that myth I wonder? De Beers!