Burned by Madoff, Kyra Sedgwick Becomes Tropicana Orange Juice Saleswoman

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  1

  doug.eaves

  03/25/09 | Report as spam

  Kyra Sedgwick and the Trop 50 images are both slim

  In reference to the funny little man, Peter Arnell, who has caused so much turmoil in the ad world lately, maybe he represents the 'new' look of ad executives (photo in post from 2/26/09). The little round spectacles, beard, and advanced baldness certainly don't represent attractiveness in the conventional American sense, so it is kind of odd that Mr. Arnell would appear in front of cameras unless some sort of paradigmatic transformation is occurring in the industry that everyone loves to hate. And with the comments he makes, it seems he might want to get rid of the microphones too, unless some dramatic change is happening in the ad world and he's on the cutting edge of it. Because many people try to forget those pompous, windy college professors who could talk endlessly about nothing at all. Mr. Arnell's shill seems to fit into such a pattern of discourse. But since his clients are the executives of marketing at a corporate giant, his persona and discourse probably work pretty well. If he's talking to a roomful of MBAs, he knows they have no background in the classics, nor are they conversant in post-modern discourse, so he uses his image and ideas to intimidate his clients by exploiting their intellectual insecurities. They've been busy working. They haven't had time to read the collected works of Baudrillard or Foucault. And they wouldn't understand them even if they did. But that's to their benefit because they wouldn't have wasted countless hours reading some of the most boring prose ever printed. Of course, Mr. Arnell is full of ****. That's obvious and most people would catch on pretty quick. But most people aren't marketing executives at Tropicana, or whatever agri-business/food processing company happens to own that brand at the moment. His 'theoretical explanations' for the new design and image of a mass-produced commodity are over the top. But maybe that's the new game. And at least he's not creating an imaginary enemy so the government can waste billions of dollars murdering innocent people. I wonder why the American masses didn't catch on to that one until it was too late?
  
  Anyway, there is one point that needs clarification. In the ad with Ms. Sedgwick, the Tropicana carton is for a product called "Trop 50" (with a little green leaf posing as a diacritical mark over the '0' to give it a European look? or to suggest that it's a 'green' product that needlessly wastes plastic responsibly?). In the post of 2/26/09 with a Tropicana carton suspended weightlessly behind Mr. Arnell's right shoulder, the carton appears to be the 'old' "Tropicana pure premium" orange juice that's just a 100% fresh delicious juice [the little green leaf is sideways over the 'i' so it looks like the dot of the 'i' and not some incomprehensible European (French) language]. So, was Tropicana planning to dispose completely of its "pure premium Tropicana" product for a new product called "Trop 50"? Or, are they just introducing "Trop 50" as a new product of their brand, while still producing the "pure premium Tropicana" product? If they continue to produce the "pure premium Tropicana" with the straw in the orange and the "Trop 50" is a new product of their brand, then the carton and Ms. Sedgwick actually make a pretty good fit. 50% fewer calories, a slim glass of orange juice in front of a slim attractive middle-aged woman, clear and clean lines on both carton and person; there is probably a market segment that would spend an extra amount of money for a product marketed like that. But if there was consideration of replacing the 'old' Tropicana for a new product called "Trop 50" then I think the arrows ought to be aimed at the honchos of Tropicana for ever deliberating over such an asinine thought. "Trop 50" sounds like some product for suburban lawn care or a sunscreen with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal ingredients, just like something a certain market segment might wish to ingest for its nutritional properties, regardless of its taste and aroma. Sorry for missing any critical news about the strategic plan of Tropicana, whether to replace the traditional product with a new one, or simply to add another product to the Tropicana line. It's a lot of fun trying to keep up with all the wonderful innovations in product marketing and advertising that make life interesting in the US. And it sure beats the hell out of worrying about important things announced in 90 second increments on the news or on web portals as text written by eighth grade dropouts.

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  2

  Barbara Brown

  07/25/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Burned by Madoff, Kyra Sedgwick Becomes Tropicana Orange Juice Saleswoman

  Since Sedgwick was burned by Madoff, did she decide to burn potential Tropicana 50 drink, that looks like, and is promoted as, orange juice with half the sugar and few calories. I bought a bottle in a hurry from Walgreens in Phoenix, drank it down in a few minutes and then looked at the label. The number 1 ingredient is FILTERED Water. No wonder it has less calories and sugar!! Plus the last ingredient is obscure, but when I went on the internet, apparently the watered down orange juice is adulterated with added stevia to make it sweeter. A lot of money for a bottle of watered down adulterated orange juice. Next time I buy the OJ (another brand) and pour it over some ice, with 40% water added. This fraud is Maddox worthy, even with the miniscule incredients. Tropicana, like Maddox, counts on their name and brand to suck you in. Furtunately I only lost $1.75, but the company could be making millions with the product and health/weight/sugar conscious Americans (and diabetics). This product is, or should be an embarrassment to Tropicana, a name brnd that in my opinion, like Madoff, has now been sullied, perhaps beyond repair. I trusted them for many years. I am 64 years old and have used their product most of my life, since my mother(and probably her mother) bought it. Kyra Sedgwick should be paid her contract price and be allowed to bow out of her contract, fully paid. The product not only sullied the brand, but Kyra Sedgwick's brand by (presumably) not disclosing to her the misleading product now associated with the Tropicana brand. Sedgwick deserves better, especially after already having been ripped-off by Madoff.