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What's golder than gold?

Visa is now offering a Titanium credit card. We can only imagine the marketing meeting that led to this:

Head of marketing: "Alright, we need a new credit card. Something for 99th percentile of the wage-earning population."

Marketing flunky #1: "Isn't that what the Gold card is for?"

Head of marketing: "Gold isn't exclusive enough these days. We need a metal with more cachet."

Marketing flunky #2: "We've got Platin..."

Head of marketing: "Platinum's no good either. Too many Platinum-level products these days. They've cheapened the whole thing. Anyone can get a Platinum anything."

Marketing flunky #1: "How about Diamond?"

Head of marketing: "Good, good. But not a metal and De Beers would sue our ass."

Lawyer: (nods)

Marketing kiss-ass: "Plus, Diamond has that whole carbon connotation. We don't want people associating their premium credit card with pencil lead."

Marketing flunky #2: "Lead? I thought we were talking about carbon?"

Everyone: (blink)

Marketing flunky #1: "You said premium just now. How about that?"

Head of marketing: "That was just an expression. God, think harder."

Flunkies: "Ummmm..."

Head of marketing: "OK, does *anyone* here know *anything* about science? What's better than platinum?"

Designer: "My computer is made of titanium. It's pretty solid. And the screen is huge. Have you seen that commercial with Mini Me and..."

Everyone: "Titanium! Of course! That's the answer!"

Designer: "That word's gonna look great on a brushed metal background."

Head of marketing: "It sure wil...wait, who let him in here?"

What is this place?

This entry is part of the kottke.org weblog, of which Inappropriate movie soundtracks is the latest entry.

Within this weblog, this entry belongs in the Advertising & marketing categories and was published in April 2003.

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