Let's let that sink in for a moment.
Spokes-people for various products are a time honored tradition in the advertising world. Usually, the company involved chooses their spokes-person based on the demographic makeup of their core consumers. They select someone their audience can relate to and aspire to be.
So . . . why Mandy Moore?
Was it her breathtaking cinematic performances in Magic Al and the Mind Factory, Chasing Liberty, and License to Wed?
Was it her chart topping music career? (Yes, there really are at least six albums - including a "Best of")
Seriously, what were the good folks at P & G thinking? Do they really believe that all the moms in America will rush out and buy Gain because 'Lana" from the Princess Diaries said to?
But wait . . . there's more! Apparently, having a hip, young spokes-person requires a Web 2.0 social promotion as well. That's where the website comes in.
Here's a screenshot:
Be warned however - the website starts talking to you the moment it loads (a personal pet peeve of mine).
Mandy welcomes us to the 'best smelling website - EVAH!' She tells us how she fell in love with Gain the very first time she smelled it. She asks you to tell her about your very first sniff. And if you post your "sniff story" on the site, you could win a free concert in your home town starring - you guessed it - Mandy Moore.
I'll ask again: P & G, what were you thinking? Did you lose a bet? Did you decide you really needed a spokes-person before choosing Mandy Moore, and she was the only one on a very long list that said yes?
Let's be clear here: I've no beef with Ms. Moore. She's just doing her job and cashing the check. If someone wanted to pay me a ton of money to smell their laundry and gush on about how wonderful it smelled, I'd do it.
No, my issue is with the weasels at P & G that made this decision (and those that allowed it to happen).
Something smells, alright. It smells like stinky weasels.
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