Science, Religion, Politics and in the pursuit of truth – HappyPsychotic

A recent ad on the radio tells of a “Canadian Cancer Society Lottery” where funds go to cancer research.  There are millions of dollars in prizes and a “1 in 5″ chance of winning.  Sounds like I would be stupid NOT to enter.  But then I wonder how much funds could possibly be available for cancer research after they give out so many prizes?  (their website offers no details)  And although “1 in 5″ odds sounds very good, lotteries don’t lose money, so nobody should ever confuse a lottery with an investment.  Needless to say, I find this ad to be very annoying due to its misleading nature.  But of course, it is not alone in the world of advertisement.

I’ve created 3 categories to differentiate the ways I see people try to sell things 1) Obvious 2) Diversionary and 3) Secretive/Accidental.  I’ll list a few examples of each and we’ll decide what we like best.

1.  Obvious

• When you see or hear a car commercial, you know somebody wants you to buy their car.  Depending on the vehicle, its strengths are stressed loudest hoping to say what you want to hear like this is the safest car, the best price, has won the most awards, has the most power, is the biggest, is the most fuel efficient, is the most fun, the most beautiful, most noticeable, most practical etc.

• Restaurants also declare what makes them better than the rest, whether it be that they have the tastiest food, the best prices, the best atmosphere, the healthiest, the fastest or whatever but there is no question what is being sold here.

• Electronics sales are also very straightforward.  The ads simply try to differentiate by convincing you they have the best quality, best price, most prestigious, most useful or some other defining factor.

2.  Diversionary

• Health Clubs and diet plans only ever say how they want to help you be healthier and happier.  They say they are working for YOUR benefit only, they only want to help you, they often offer no-obligation free trials, tell you that you will be beautiful, you’ll live longer, be healthier and have more energy.  But we do know that they are making money from our eventual membership fees and we would be rude to ask how many members at their club are paying but not using.

• Banks say they want to help YOU save YOUR money, help you retire early and help you buy whatever your heart desires.  Just don’t ask about their billions of dollars of annual profits.

• How about supporting your local sports team?  Show your city spirit, support “your” team.  They often make it seem as though their only motivation is for your enjoyment.  But think about how many salaries and other income is being made.

3.  Secretive/Accidental

• Charities, foreign aid and churches almost never start out as a way for somebody to get rich.  They are usually started by some great people that see a need and want to help.  But over time, those that are successful invariably end up spending more and more of their funds on infrastructure and administration until it gets to the point that obscene amounts of money never get to the “the cause”.  Remember that a “non-profit” organization can simply raise salaries to deal with the “problem” of having too much money and remain “non-profit”.  The most recent and troubling headline in this category is the former president of the SickKids Foundation who received a $2.7 million payout after quitting his job before his contract was due.  Feel free to browse the financial reports of Canadian charities at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/charities/ and you can see where the money that you donate to your favourite charity is really going.

• Political campaigns always appear completely selfless also.  These people running for office say they just want to help and improve your situation.  How many would still be so giving if the salaries, pensions, business expenses and other perks weren’t quite so generous?

• Consider the commercials which advertise the news.  They say that they are “committed” to getting you the accurate news quickly and how you can depend on them and trust them.  You’re not supposed to think about the fact that the person saying these things is just reading a script and they aren’t even their own ideas, or think about the fact that it’s simply a business trying to make money like everything else.

So what do we like best?  I’m not sure that I like any, but I realize advertisements are necessary for the economy, but I suppose I would choose the straightforward obvious ads as my favourite.  I don’t appreciate being tricked or “guilted” into spending money.  It seems to me that every good product should be able to survive without hiding facts.