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July 29, 2003
Not Quite Classic Idea: "We're Cleaning Up (America!)": Dog Waste Disposal Campaign
This would be a public relations campaign for some big national pet company. First, with every sale of dog merchandize they would include a little package of somehow biodegradable dog-poo pick-up bags which would be brightly colored (maybe yellow?) and have slogan on it:
"Joe's Pet Store and You:
We're Cleaning Up
America!"
[the hard return between "Up" and "America" is on purpose to imply a possible comma and thus the kind of double reading that advertisers love because -- I assume -- then you have to think about it twice.]
Then there would be extensive TV and print ads showing people walking down the beach and in public places carrying these highly recognizable bags.
The ads would be all feel-goody with inspiring music and maybe soft focus, and would show slow motion pictures of people walking barefoot, kids rolling in the grass, etc. and responsible dog owners pickling up (and here's the kicker): LITTER.
See, you'd argue that Joe's Pet Store had mounted a campaign which would encourage dog owners to leave parks *cleaner* than they found them, not just to pick up their own dog's crap. Plus, you can't really show people picking up crap on television.
For dog owners, this would mean one step away from the humiliation of carrying a sack of crap around with them, because -- who knows? -- maybe it's a bunch of popsicle wrappers and beer cans in there? This element of doubt about what's in the bag might mitigate the shame factor. Well, okay, there are obvious reasons why people don't pick up dog crap, but besides the obvious reasons, I think one reason why dog owners don't always pick up after their dogs is because they find it vaguely humiliating to carry the sack around -- it's awkward when you meet someone and have to decide if you're going to shake their hands and stuff, because even if you are perfectly clean, you are sort of tainted, psychically, if not otherwise. By having a massive "You're an American Hero for Picking Up Shit" campaign, maybe we could do away with some of that.
And maybe, just maybe, we might save some lives ... http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/18/national/main564005.shtml
Posted by mary at July 29, 2003 03:43 PM
Comments
Concern: how quickly would these bags biodegrade?
Posted by: I luv D. Marschke at July 31, 2003 07:55 AM
If I weren't hard at work, I'd do an internet search for "biodegradable dog poo bags" ... so okay ... "biodegradable" + "dog poo" + "bags" got me this:
http://www.masterscoopers.com/concious_choice.htm
Take that, you Dorothy devil worshiper!
Actually, I just told Chris the story of how I always hated Dorothy and thought she showed favoritism to boys ... and then how her son was killed in a car accident. Kind of put a poor light on my hatred.
Posted by: Mary at July 31, 2003 10:14 AM
may we all have such strength to admonish ourselves for our hatreds.
Posted by: I luv D. Marschke at August 1, 2003 06:55 AM
I carry biodegradable dog waste bags and sell them to part of the city of Chicago, to apt/condo complexes and to individual dog owners. Interested? Come to masterscoopers.com
Posted by: doggiedo at October 15, 2003 03:13 AM