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01.30.04 :: a nickel a day keeps you from beating an animal
[rant]
So I got this strange piece of mail the other day from PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Now, I'm all about animals. Animals are some of my best friends.
What struck me as odd about the mail was that it had a nickel attached and under the nickel a caption read, "You may keep this nickel as a reminder that animals need our help everyday."
I imagined going through my wallet one day, taking out change to give to the Starbucks' cashier, and being moved to say as I opened my change purse, "oh, I can't give you this nickel, this nickel right here that looks exactly like every other nickel in my wallet, because this is the nickel that reminds me not to beat my cat."
Were they just not trying? What was the conversation at the PETA marketing division? "You know, we could make little tokens that people can carry around with them, something with a cute animal on it and the PETA logo so that it reminds them every time they look at it that animals are living creatures that need respect and love, just like humans. Or we could, you know, just stick a nickel in there, because that's about how much it'll cost to make those anyway."
I'm thinking of sending a note to PETA: "Thanks! Now I have something small and metallic to throw at my cat when she pisses me off."
[rant]
 |
What struck me as odd about the mail was that it had a nickel attached and under the nickel a caption read, "You may keep this nickel as a reminder that animals need our help everyday."
I imagined going through my wallet one day, taking out change to give to the Starbucks' cashier, and being moved to say as I opened my change purse, "oh, I can't give you this nickel, this nickel right here that looks exactly like every other nickel in my wallet, because this is the nickel that reminds me not to beat my cat."
Were they just not trying? What was the conversation at the PETA marketing division? "You know, we could make little tokens that people can carry around with them, something with a cute animal on it and the PETA logo so that it reminds them every time they look at it that animals are living creatures that need respect and love, just like humans. Or we could, you know, just stick a nickel in there, because that's about how much it'll cost to make those anyway."
I'm thinking of sending a note to PETA: "Thanks! Now I have something small and metallic to throw at my cat when she pisses me off."
All content and images © Hellchick 2007 unless otherwise stated. Please don't steal my stuff. It's not nice.
I think I've seen this before, except it was done with actual dollar bills. I can't find the reference, though.
If you think about it, this the same exact thing that the March of Dimes does when they send you Christmas labels or return address stickers on the mail. It's also the same as lady who gives you free cracker samples at the grocery store or the homeless guy who washes your window before asking for spare change. They're all giving you something in the hopes that you reciprocate and give them something back (usually a donation, support, or commerce).
Reciprocity is one of the strongest instincts in human nature. They KNOW this. :)
Posted by: Jamie | January 31, 2004 01:16 PM
PETA.
I don't even know where to begin about PETA.
I'm all for ethical treatment of animals, don't get me wrong, but I'm no activist. That said, I want to start an animal activism group or movement. I want it to become very popular. And I want PETA to offer their support so I can say, publically and prominently: "I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP. You guys can take a perfectly legitimate cause and turn it into a joke with your sensationalism and inflammatory tactics. You make people not want to listen to you. You make people who care about animal rights look like morons. You hurt more than you help by completely undermining a perfectly rational cause with completely irrational tactics. You make the kind of statements and arguments people make when they don't have anything else reasonable to say.
PS I just kicked a dog because of you."
Posted by: ReverendTed | January 31, 2004 10:07 PM
Dammit, Jamie, you psychologists just take the fun out of everything! :)
Posted by: Hellchick | February 1, 2004 08:57 AM
Could it be a strategy to increase the mind share of the PETA?
I could see the strategy being to cause an association of the PETA brand to every nickel you see, because this mail was so unique.
Posted by: Warren | February 1, 2004 09:01 AM
If you're even slightly interested in how people/companies take advantage of the foibles in human psychology, I VERY highly recommend a book called "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini.
The book is written to be very accessible, with lots of real-world examples from marketing, fundraising, business, religion, and society in general. Yet it's all firmly grounded in hard, scientific evidence from psychology and biology. It's fascinating to see how you're being purposefully and carefully manipulated all the freaking time, often without your knowing it.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688128165/qid=1075667520
Posted by: Jamie | February 1, 2004 12:38 PM