My favorite blonde observer of stupid marketing has found another classic example of companies playing the “Made you look” game.

In this case, the bombshell (who is about as far from needing a diet as I am from being a cucumber) noticed that Weight Watchers had a new marketing campaign: “Don’t Diet”.

I call this an example of the “made you look” game because it’s such an unexpected statement – a company called “Weight Watchers” is telling me not to diet? Why, whatever can they mean? I must look and investigate further! (Which of course is their goal).

I think also think it’s stupid marketing.

Why? Because it’s patently false, and thus has negative repercussions.

Now, I like a good head fake as much as the next person. And I love the use of cognitive dissonance in marketing to shake people out of their daily routine. So if Weight Watchers had put out shocker taglines saying something like “Rice Cakes Suck”, or “Does being hungry make you feel good about yourself?” I’d be a huge fan.

But their ads are false. Dieting means “to select or limit the food one eats to improve one's physical condition or to lose weight”. Which is what Weight Watchers helps people do, albeit with additional suggestions about counseling and mental attitude.

What do you think people feel when they spend the time to further investigate Weight Watchers based on the above statement, and then realize it’s false?

I’d suspect that campaign is really annoying quite a few people – and generating some negative word of mouth. Oscar Wilde said “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about” – but I’m not sure that applies to annoying your prospect base.

So what’s the moral for marketers?

Dissonance is fine. Be the noisy kid in the class, say something shocking, get people to break out of their daily grind and start nodding their head in agreement with your message.

But be true to your product. Don’t refute the value you bring, or lure people in under false pretenses. It tends to backfire. Weight Watchers, that loss you feel may be your pocket book getting lighter.

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