Business
Follies of the Madmen #282
Chimps improve every product.
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 16, 2016 -
Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Products, 1950s, Cars
Find the movie tickets
September 1994: Georges Wache, managing director at a French furniture company in Vietnam, offered free movie tickets to employees as a morale booster to reward them for good work. The only catch was that to receive the giveaway, the employees had to "put their heads between his thighs" to search for the tickets.One man refused and reported the odd demand to the authorities. When word reached the media, it sparked national outrage. Saigon newspapers branded Wache "The Ugly Frenchman" and demanded his deportation from the country. Wache insisted that his actions had simply been innocent fun that was misinterpreted. From what I can gather, Wache eventually was able to keep his job.
Sydney Morning Herald - Sep 13, 1994
Posted By: Alex - Sun May 15, 2016 -
Comments (3)
Category: Business, 1990s
Follies of the Madmen #281
Those puny digits of females--how can they even grasp a writing instrument?
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 24, 2016 -
Comments (12)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Writers, 1960s, Men, Women
Illinois Canal Scrip
With USA paper money in the news, let's look at a wild and woolly era in the history of the USA when just about anyone could issue their own cash.
Explanation here.
And more info here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 22, 2016 -
Comments (4)
Category: Business, Crime, Frauds, Cons and Scams, Nineteenth Century
Aussie Cars: the Holden
I can't say I had ever heard of the Holden line of cars prior to my recent research.Some great 1960s motifs and attitudes in the second video: "Toranas are really groovy!"
Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 21, 2016 -
Comments (7)
Category: Business, Advertising, 1960s, Australia, Cars
I Love Cow
Chanel recently launched an advertising campaign featuring the handwritten phrase "I love Coco." Or does it say, "I love cow"? It can be read either way.One of those situations where you wonder if the ad company just didn't see it, or did see it and kept it that way purposefully to make the campaign more viral.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 18, 2016 -
Comments (12)
Category: Animals, Business
The Order Of Yoni
Yoni is the Sanskrit word for vagina and that is where the bacteria used to make this beer comes from. NSFW
Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 05, 2016 -
Comments (15)
Category: Business, Genitals, Alcohol
Square Donuts
The Square Donuts company of Terre Haute, Indiana has been making square donuts for 50 years, and they've trademarked the name. Eleven years ago, the Family Express convenience store also began making donuts that are square, and selling them as "square donuts." The Square Donuts company recently noticed what they were doing. Therefore, lawyers are now involved.Square Donuts demands that Family Express stop selling those square donuts. Family Express insists that "square donuts" is too generic a concept to trademark.
I wonder if anyone has trademarked Triangular Donuts or Polyhedral Donuts? A business opportunity perhaps?
More Info: CBS Chicago
Posted By: Alex - Tue Mar 29, 2016 -
Comments (11)
Category: Business, Food, Junk Food, Lawsuits
Follies of the Madmen #278
Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 26, 2016 -
Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Business, Advertising, Products, Religion, 1960s, Cars
Eggplant Mail
Eggplant Mail is the latest incarnation of the vegetable-mailing business fad. In a similar vein, we've recently seen Mail-a-Spud and Mail-a-Pickle (as well as Feces by Mail, though that's processed vegetable matter).The slight variation that Eggplant Mail offers is that customers can request that a message be written on the eggplant before it's shipped to the person of their choice.
But although the business is only about a month old, its owner has already decided to cash out and is auctioning off eggplantmail.com.
The lucky buyer is getting not only a site, but a business that has already raked in some $570 in sales. However, the owner has revealed to the German version of vice.com that he's not planning on accepting less than $10,000.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 25, 2016 -
Comments (11)
Category: Business, Food, Postal Services
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |