Sharpie Commercial: “Stop Protesting Now”

October 23rd, 2011

12 seconds.

The purpose of the Stop Protesting Now message is to

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Via: Sharpie U.S. YouTube Channel:

Posted in Social Engineering | Top Of Page

2 Responses to “Sharpie Commercial: “Stop Protesting Now””

  1. Miraculix says:
    October 23, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    Vote : OTHER

    Rationale : While the commercial is clearly selling pens on the surface, I suspect via personal experience as a corporate PR whore that the primary effect produced from the colorful banner in question is “cognitive disequilibrium” — a less famous cousin of cognitive dissonance.

    https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

  2. bloodnok says:
    October 26, 2011 at 11:20 pm

    “What would the world be like without self-expression? There’d be no purpose…”

    I think that’s pretty clear. The very first shot is of protesters with blank signs. The next time you see the protesters (at “There’d be no purpose”), the signs are coloured in. Ignoring the actual content of the signs, I think the message is a pretty clear pro-protesting one.

    So why “Stop Protesting”? Two reasons: Firstly due to the cognitive disequilibrium mentioned pointed out by Miraculix, but secondly (and more importantly), so that Sharpie is not seen to be coming down on one side of a particular cause.

    What would be the reaction if the signs were Occupy Wall Street / 99% signs? Anti-war? What about if they were PETA signs? Or “Impeach Bush”? “Obama is a Nazi Communist who wants to socialise Medicare!!”

    I think they made the right call there.

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