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What are some marketing tactics that you dislike ? (lemm.ee)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

91 comments fedilink hide all child comments

For me it is when companies/services market themselves as donating to XYZ cause if I buy their product. If they want to donate, they should have already done that with the money they have. Asking me to give them profit so that they can donate is so obviously pretentious.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 5 months ago (3 children)

There's this ad I keep seeing that I really despise. It's for teeth-whitening toothpaste. The actress is wearing a white coat then holds up a tissue to her teeth, lamenting that her sparkling white teeth are 'still yellow'

They cut away to teach you how toothpaste works, because surely you've never heard of this newfangled thing, and when they cut back she's no longer wearing her white coat and says how much whiter her teeth are.

It's transparently obvious that the wardrobe and tissue are just to give you something whiter to look at. But like... your teeth aren't supposed to be freakishly white. It's just something that Big Toothpaste wants you to feel bad about the way your body is. Also, using whitening toothpaste when you don't need it can damage your enamel and cause you long term problems.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

PSA whitening toothpastes are just normal toothpastes with added abrasives. So they temporary whiten your teeth because you've removed the outer most enamel which gives your teeth its hardness. At the mere cost of tooth sensitivity and future staining, the deeper dentine layer is much softer and porous which is easily damaged by acidic foods but also more easily stained due to the porosity. So congratulations your teeth are now more stained.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yes I hate teeth whitening in general. I really dislike that unnatural shade of white. What gets me of their advertising methods is that they usually prey on people's insecurities based on the myth that the whiter your teeth the healthier they must be.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

This isn't complete bunk. The new indicator of wealth is healthy teeth. Poor kids don't get to go to the dentist regularly, so have more problems later on; rich kids get regular cleanings to prevent buildup, and have much healthier teeth.

The trick was making us equate white-white teeth with healthy teeth, even though there's a shade of 'white' that is just healthy, clean enamel with no plaque buildup but isn't true white.

I only retained this when I heard it as I was a poor kid and, wow, am I glad I have a good job as our dental care is still mercenary as fuck.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Unite against big toothpaste! I agree with those.