Re: If It's A Gift-giving Observance, Here Comes the International Star Register

[Garrett Wollman <wollman@lcs.mit.edu>]

<<On Fri, 14 Jun 2002 19:15:31 -0400, SteveOrdinetz <steveord@bit-net.com> said:

> newscasts.  I've always wondered...what is the significance of the phrase 
> to the effect "your star will be recorded in book form at the US copyright 
> office"?  Sounds like some CYA language.

It's a truthful way of saying something that is absolutely meaningless
but makes their ``service'' sound more legitimate.  (Similar to all
the patent nostrums which claim ``helps support normal XYZ function'',
which for all values of XYZ is also true of sugar pills.)

> The ones that really annoy me are the Vermont Teddybear ones...all live 
> reads by the newscaster.  Not sure why they were sold that way...seems to 
> undermine credibility of the reporters to hear them shilling expensive 
> teddybears.

I think it's part of VTBC's marketing strategy to always use live
reads.  I've never, ever heard a VTBC spot that wasn't, outside of
their home market.  And notice that on 'BZ it's always the *anchor*
who reads the spots, not one of the regular street reporters (to the
extent they have any left).

-GAWollman