What are they thinking?

For the past few months, I've been watching a bunch of Statue of Liberties waving, dancing and looking quite bored on the side of the road. It puzzles me. There is a tax preparation company that seems to think that a bored Statue of Liberty on the side of the road is the way to bring in more business. They come in all sizes to and are not nearly as regal looking as the true icon. I would link to the company that is doing this, but to tell the truth, I'm not sure of the company's name.

Every time I drive by them I think things such as "I wonder how much they get paid to stand around and do nothing" or "who in the world would be carrying all their tax papers and suddenly decide that they need to get their taxes done because they see Lady Liberty?" or my more recent thought "I wonder how much they are wasting on this type of marketing".

I have seen them in three different city locations. I see them at least every other day that I drive by them. I've been seeing them for the past two to three months. So, if they are paying them minimum wage - about $8.00 and I see them at all hours of the day (lets say 6 hours a day) and about every other day (probably more) - a conservative weekly cost would be around $200 a week (times three locations - I'm sure there are more locations as well). That's $600 a week for a conservative two months - $4,800. I'm sure they are paying double that, but even at that figure, they should have been able to come up with something more effective.

I'm not a fan of doing my taxes in a grocery store, but I think H&R Block is doing something right. First of all, I know the name of the company that puts their accountants in grocery stores. Also, people frequent the grocery store enough that they will remember the service is available to them. When I walk by one of the H&R Block booths, I don't have any random thoughts about budgets or dancing minimum wage workers.

Okay, I think I got away from my original topic of costumed marketing campaigns. So, these past few months I've just thought this company was insane. It never occurs to me to actually look and see what company it is that does this. Then, just today... I see a dancing hotdog on the street. What the #$%@? I think that's even worse than the Lady Liberty.

What in the world makes these marketing people think that a bright red and brown dancing hot dog covered in mustard is going to whet my appetite so much that I'm suddenly going to pull over for a quick bite? It actually makes me lose my appetite... much like those distasteful Quizno rat commercials. I haven't had a Quizno sandwich since those began to air. I'm thankful that I haven't seen one in a long time. They used to make me physically nauseous. The gyrating hotdog is right there with Quiznos. By the way, I again... don't know the name of the company that payed for the dancing hot dog.

One more note... I do think the costumed street people does work in one situation. During Halloween time when they are dressed up outside of a party or costume store. If it's any other type of company, I don't think this type of marketing should be utilized.