Me Want

I'm not generally someone who's at the forefront of cutting edge technology. It usually takes me a while to adopt the latest and greatest whatever gizmo that's out there. For example, I still haven't bought an iPod (I'm borrowing an earlier model from my sister, though a new one for me is right down the road), I don't upgrade my cell phone every nine to 12 months, and I haven't bought new stereo equipment in probably 15 years. I'll admit: I'm totally unhip that way.

That said, though, I went to the Apple Store last night with a friend who is looking to buy a new laptop and while she and her husband were talking to the Mac-o-phile sales dude, I was playing with the new Apple iPhone.

All I can say is, I want one of these! It is so much cooler in real time than I ever thought possible!

So, I think I might table my future purchase of an iPod, wait for the next release of the iPhone--give 'em time to work out the bugs on this first generation model, up the gigs, lower the call plan price--and go from there! It's one sweet piece o' technology!

Photo copyright: Apple Inc.

Too Old

I'm finally in that demographic where consumer products companies (CPGs) no longer care to know my opinion or respect my loyalty to their products.

Case in point: Herbal Essence hair care products.

It's winter. The humidity levels in the East take enough of a dive at this time of year that you feel static-clingy. Your skin dries out. If you're unlucky enough, your hands crack. And your scalp gets dry and itchy--though not to the point of needing Head & Shoulders or Selsen Blue. Just mildly, but maddeningly enough, itchy.

A winter or so ago, I asked my hair goddess--Sally--what I could use to cut the occasional itch and dryness. She recommended finding a shampoo with rosemary in it. So, off to Target I toodled (that's a verb by the way. It's a Kincaid verb, but a verb nonetheless. Means to nonchalantly mosey on over, or something like that. Toodle) and lo, and behold, I found a shampoo with rosemary in it.

Herbal Essence Rosemary something or other. It worked. My scalp was happy. I was happy. I kept buying the stuff, even after the cold weather ended and the days of Satan, er, summer, arrived with its ghastly heat and humidity.

But, 'round about August last year, I noticed something trendy going on in the shampoo aisle. No more Herbal Essence in the smells and combinations I liked. No more straight forward bottles. Nooooooo. In their place, twisty bottles with shampoo flavors like white nectarine with champagne and crushed pearl and names like "Color Me Happy" or "Body Envy" or "Hello Hydration." (What?! Have they hired the Hello Kitty people to name their 'poos? Gimme a break!)

Everything about the new packaging, the names, and the ingredients scream "20-35 Somethings!" That demographic that has everything, that is hip, that constantly wants the newest iteration of whatever with all the latest bells and whistles, and that marketers and the CPGs are targeting. The middle aged be damned! (And the other demographic that matters right now are the AARP'ers. Grand. Can't wait to start paying for them, too. I can kiss Social Security g'bye.)

Meanwhile, folks like myself (see aforementioned damned middle agers), who like the products they find and remain loyal to said products, are left out in the cold... Dry. Itchy. Cranky.

But hey, who needs a happy scalp when you can have a shampoo that gives you new Scrabble words like "degunkify."

Bring Back the Gecko

In the chronicles of advertising, there are a rare few that create either a jingle or an icon that is truly memorable. And since advertisers don't write jingles anymore, that just leaves icons. Case in point: the Geico Gecko. Love this little dude. Commercials with the Gecko make me laugh.


He ranks right up there with the 'Noid from the Domino's Pizza ads in the late 80s and early 90s.










Lately, however, Geico has decided to go with has-been stars and cavemen. The commercials with Charo, Little Richard, the Movie Voiceover Dude, and Peter Graves were interesting once, but now they're just dull and overplayed. Still, these are bearable in comparison to the ads featuring cavemen. Those ads are just flat out stupid and a waste of ad dollars and air time.

But you be the judge. Which would you rather?

The Gecko (see above) or Charo?








The Gecko (see above) or the Caveman?










I vote for the Gecko. Bring Back the Gecko! Bring Back the Gecko! Bring Back the Gecko....



(Okay, seriously, I need to go to bed earlier. And, I should probably think about getting a life. Still... Bring Back the Gecko....)