From The New York Times:
The network plans to announce today that it will place laser imprints of its trademark eye insignia, as well as logos for some of its shows, on eggs — 35 million of them in September and October. CBS’s copywriters are referring to the medium as “egg-vertising,” hinting at the wordplay they have in store. Some of their planned slogans: “CSI” (“Crack the Case on CBS”); “The Amazing Race” (“Scramble to Win on CBS”); and “Shark” (“Hard-Boiled Drama.”). Variations on the ad for its Monday night lineup of comedy shows include “Shelling Out Laughs,” “Funny Side Up” and “Leave the Yolks to Us.”
George Schweitzer, president of the CBS marketing group, said he was hoping to generate some laughter in American kitchens. “We’ve gone through every possible sad takeoff on shelling and scrambling and frying,” he said, adding, “It’s a great way to reach people in an unexpected form.”
“Egg-vertising?”
While I’m not a pun snob, whoever came up with that particular gem should be forced to watch as a rabid wolverine gnaws at their entrails.
Even worse that the vomit-inducing wordplay is the very notion of turning eggs into ads. I appreciate the difficulty of reaching people in this day and age, but come on.
Maybe – just maybe – one of the reasons the public has grown increasingly immune to advertising is because advertising has grown ever more intrusive and invasive.
Does George Schweitzer honestly believe that kitchens across America will resound with peals of laughter over such bon mots as “Scramble To Win on CBS?” (Then again, this is the network that brought us the unbridled hilarity of “Two And A Half Men.”)
If CBS is going to subject us to ads on eggs, the least they could do is knock a couple of cents off the price.
“…as a rabid wolverine gnaws at their entrails.”
Hey, don’t knock it ’til ya tried it.
I wonder how many people after the internal presentation at CBS high-fived each other and went “Eggscellent idea!”
My copywriting instructor told me puns were un-eggceptable.