I usually roll my eyes because, really?  We’re jumping up and down about razor blades?  No.  Not really.

Not that we don’t need razor blades, mind you – but let’s not pretend that OUR LIVES! THEY ARE CHANGED! BY THIS AWESOME RAZOR BLADE!  THAT I HAVE BEEN COVETING!

This is not, by the way, a post about razor blades.

What this is, in fact, is a post about a marketing campaign that made me laugh so hard that I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

Ladies (and gentleman), I give you the latest craze in workout videos…

Strong As Steel from Strong As Steel on Vimeo.

My witty and insightful commentary – after the jump.

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA

And also?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHA

Ha.

I don’t know who at GE came up with this idea, but I would like to buy them a drink.  Or two.  And then I want to drag them into my kitchen and make them teach me how to WORKOUT!  USING NOTHING BUT MY STOVE! AND REFRIGERATOR!

And then I’ll buy them another drink and convince them to replace my dishwasher.

Do you know the funniest part of this whole promotion – I mean, besides Alison Sweeney doing fridge curls on camera?

I actually considered for a moment buying the DVD.  Oh, yes, you can buy the DVD.  I mean, I do have a kitchen and a desperate need to firm up…

Yeah, OK.  Back to watching the video and laughing hysterically.

While you can buy the DVD, the point of this whole campaign is to promote GE’s stainless steel appliances.  Starting now (OK, probably earlier than now), you can buy GE Stainless Steel Appliance for the same price of their regular appliances until July 6, 2009 at participating retailers.*

I am not (knock on wood) in the market for new appliances – but if I was, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be all about making it look like I had spent money on fancy, schmancy stainless steel ones without actually having to spend more money.

If you, on the other hand, happen to be in the market for new appliances, you can find out about GE’s stainless steel promotion here.

Now, on to THE PRIZE!

GE is not, unfortunately, letting me giveaway appliances.  And if they were, I would probably rig the contest so my cat won them.  Because I am ethical.

Instead, GE is letting me giveaway a REALLY FANCY YOGA MAT AND CARRIER.

Which is totally just as awesome as a dishwasher in some circles.

HOW TO WIN THE FANCY GE YOGA MAT AND CARRIER:

>>Leave a comment telling me what at-home exercise you do.

>>You must comment with a valid email address because that’s how I’ll notify the winner.

>>Contest (and comments) will be open from now until midnight EDT on Friday June 22 June 26.

>>Winner will be chosen at random and contacted via the email address they used to enter.

>>GE (or someone who works for them) will be responsible for sending out your prize.  Lucky, you.

Ready, set, go**….

*And no one paid me to say that.  Which is so sad, because look at how awesome that sentence was.

**I love how I am creating all of this drama!  And excitement!  And anticipation!  For a yoga mat!

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Post tags: contest, GE, marketing, marketing campaign, new appliances, stainless steel appliances, strong as steel, workout, yoga

The only thing stopping me was the fact that I live 45 minutes away from a Sephora, and I couldn’t risk getting myself banned from the next best thing.  My principles, apparently, only run as deep as my need for overpriced cosmetics.

But boy I was pissed.

For those of you who live in places without an ULTA or a Sephora – places like my hometown – let me give you a quick introduction.

Sephora is heaven. More specifically, Sephora is a cosmetics and beauty supply store where you can spend hours and hours perusing the aisles and trying damn near every beauty product known to woman.  You’ll find everything from lip plumpers to eyelash curlers and $100+ tanning systems.  Sephora sells damn near every designer line of cosmetics.  And you can sample most of the products right there in the store – and get a makeover from one of their makeup artists.

ULTA is the poor man’s Sephora. They sell a handful of designer cosmetic lines, their own brand of cosmetics, as well as a selection of drugstore brands like Cover Girl and Revlon.  They do allow you to sample many of their products as well.

The biggest difference between ULTA and Sephora – aside from selection – is the customer service.  A Sephora store is teeming with staff in black clothing and fancy headsets that can usually tell you something about damn near every product in stock.  ULTA stores are usually understaffed with people who, based on my experiences, know next to nothing about the products they sell.

I’ve come to accept these differences and I only go into an ULTA when I’ve already done my own research and I know what I’m buying.  The only thing I ever ask an ULTA staffer is “where do you keep your lipstick?”

Last week I went in looking for two different types of concealers that I want to test out.  I was having trouble locating a sample of one and asked a woman dressed in black who appeared to be working there for assistance.

“I don’t know anything about that line except for what I’ve seen on commercials.”

“That’s OK, I don’t need help with the product.  I’m just trying to find a sample of it.”

“Oh, it’s over there.  Sorry, I’m the Smashbox rep.  I have enough to remember with that line.”

“I’m sure.”

I continued my shopping and made a mental note never to ask anyone in the store for help.  Another woman was shopping beside me.  I would guess she was in her mid-50s and she was carefully studying the Bare Minerals line.

“Excuse me,” I heard my fellow shopper ask, “can you help me figure out which of these foundation powders I need?”  She was standing in front of the Bare Minerals selection and asking the same “sales assistant” I’d spoken to earlier for guidance.

“What are you looking for?” the lady in black asked.

The shopper began to detail what she needed in a foundation and why she wanted to try the Bare Minerals powders.

“Have you ever tried Smashbox?”

I was floored.  The Smashbox rep made no mention of the fact that she was clueless about the Bare Minerals line or that she was a Smashbox rep.

I spent the next 15 minutes listening to the saleswoman bash the Bare Minerals line and explain to the unsuspecting shopper why she loved Smashbox.  Without once mentioning that she worked for them.  I watched in horror as the customer walked away with hundreds of dollars in Smashbox cosmetics and the confidence that she had just been helped by an expert.

Here’s my problem with what I saw:

The Smashbox rep looked exactly like an ULTA employee.  She didn’t have a nametag or any other identifying marker that distinguished her as only a Smashbox rep.  As a customer in an ULTA store, you would assume that you’re being helped by an ULTA employee.  As a woman looking for guidance in a sea of cosmetics, you would assume that the advice you were getting from an ULTA employee wouldn’t be biased towards one particular product line.

When you walk into a department store, you can clearly see what brand each sales rep is representing.  You know the Clinique woman is going to tell you that Clinique is the best thing since sliced bread.  You know that the Clarins assistant is going to rave about Clarins.  You expect the Estee Lauder woman to sell you Estee Lauder products.  The information you’re getting is biased, but you know that.

Finding the right makeup for your skin type can be a challenge for a lot of woman.  Sorting through the bombardment of marketing material and advertising claims is overwhelming.  One of the reasons you go to a place like ULTA or Sephora is to talk to someone who can tell you about the differences between these products.  Sure, there’s a good chance they’re going to push you towards the most expensive products – but you don’t expect brand loyalty from a staff member unless it’s based on their own experiences.

What happened in that ULTA was deceptive marketing.  And worse, the woman who spent her money there had no idea that she was being deceived.  She thought she was receiving objective advice from an ULTA employee and a fellow woman.

Part of the reason this makes me so angry is because I know how intimidating products can be for some women.  Me?  I’ll gladly try anything once and I’m not afraid to do my own research.  But I love this stuff.  Women like my mom?  It would be a huge accomplishment for her to work up the courage just to walk into an ULTA or a Sephora without having a panic attack.  The very least these women deserve is to know when they are being pitched.

The lesson I learned here is this:

If you have the option, go to a Sephora.

If you’re talking to a salesperson who seems to be pushing one product line, ask them pointed questions about other product lines to get a sense for why they are leaning so heavily towards one over another.  Ask them about less expensive alternatives.  Ask them to tell you about the ingredients in another line.  Ask them to tell you what’s good - even if it’s not the best – about another product.

And don’t be afraid to ask a girlfriend you trust for their opinion.

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Post tags: advertising, beauty supply store, cosmetic lines, customer service, Friday Flops, makeup, marketing, Sephora, ULTA