Not Diddled, But Kettled
In the last few years, lots of electrical items have dramatically come down in price: televisions, dvd players, fridges, microwaves etc. However, the humble kettle remains expensive. I've been hunting around for a branded, cheap-ish kettle for the past week. Can I find one? No.
Kettles seem to range from £9.99 - for a plain plastic job - to £59.99 - for a top of the range in-built brita filter thing (we have the latter at home, and it's definitely worth the money)). I've tried Sainsbury, Tesco, TJHughes (discount place), Currys (mega expensive), Comet, Argos and last but not least, Robert Dyas. I would have quite like a silver jug kettle reduced from, let's say £29.99 to £14.99 or something. I've picked up so much stuff which has been discounted, why should the kettle be any different? However, wherever I looked it was the same story - nothing for less than £19.99 unless I wanted an unbranded plain white kettle. I'd just about given up on finding a bargain, so was about to purchase a white boring kettle for the grand price of £12.99 when my attention was caught by the advert for "limited stock, reduced, "£19.99". I had budgeted for £20, so that was ok (although wanted something for less). On display was the cutest little kettle. A Morphy Richards, "Classic Florence Kettle". It looks more like a tea pot to be honest, is metal, and only holds about 1litre (but who cares, I don't really use the kettle much anyway - hence I was so angry having to spend so much) but it is very sweet. It even has a tea pot-esque spout. So, principles out of the window, cuteness and in-practibility have one the day. Good job I saved £20 on a griddle pan. Ho-hum.
...advergirl: Hard times, new segments: Divorce advertising?
The whole world loves a bride. She's showered with magazines, catalogs, glossy mailers. Invited to websites, trunk shows, entire conventions of other betrotheds. Asked to register for every lovely thing a household could need - from a pour-for-the-Cure pink Brita to no fewer than a dozen monogrammed bath sheets.
Let the marketing dollars flow.
But what about all those brides who are wives no more? The husband hunting for a re-bachelor pad? Those once-couples for whom happily-ever-after has run amok?
With over half of American marriages ending in divorce, perhaps there's a niche of household spending that we - America's Ad-mad Advertisers - have missed.
Imagine it - hundreds of thousands of people faced with replacing their cookware, comforters and tea cozies. And needing to do it in a hurry. To get back to normal FAST.
Perhaps this is the segment for hard times. In an economy where spending is stalled. Where relationships are rocky. Let's make it easy for those who have to spend. Let's keep them off futons and bean bags. Offer them deals on thread count and leather. No take out and chopsticks. No, wounded one, we will bring you steamers and stainless steel forks.
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