Glade

The Setting
The advertising conference room at SC Johnson's headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin.

In Attendance
The ad agency's account executive and creative director; the director of marketing and marketing manager for Glade products; Fisk Johnson in attendance via phone.

The Topic
The next Glade television commercial in the series known internally as "The Hot Mom."

The Conversation
Account Executive: I think the campaign is going extremely well, don't you?

Director of Marketing: Well, we are getting a lot of mail from people wondering what strange psychology is as work in this woman's mind that makes her not want anyone to know she buys Glade products.

Account Executive: Hey, any publicity is good publicity, right?

Marketing Manager: Well, I'm not sold that we want our customers ashamed of buying our products.

Account Executive: Oh, that's not it at all! This is reverse psychology at its finest!

Creative Director: We know what we're doing.

Marketing Manager: Well, OK...I guess.

Account Executive: Here's the latest. The Hot Mom is in the kitchen making gingerbread man cookies. There's a Glade candle on the countertop next to the plate of cookies. In walk two of her friends and one immediately says something about the wonderful smell of gingerbread in the room.

Director of Marketing: Good. Mention of a product benefit right off.

Creative Director: No, you don't get it. One of the gingerbread men starts to talk and says it's not their smell, but the candle.

Director of Marketing: Uh, a talking gingerbread man?

Creative Director: Shrek...didn't you see Shrek?

Account Executive: But - get this - the Hot Mom picks up the gingerbread man and bites his head off - literally! CHOMP!

Director of Marketing: Isn't that a bit, uh, barbaric?

Creative Director: NO! Please stay with us here. We hear a little muffled sound (mmmmmm) and we have succeeded AGAIN in fooling the visitors into thinking the odor is from the cookies and NOT the candle!

Marketing Manager: But don't we want people to know it's the candle?

Creative Director: Jeez...don't you people understand ANYTHING about advertising?
He throws his script across the room.

Account Executive: Then we do a little product spiel followed by the Hot Mom doing her usual, "and yes, it's Glade" line. Just so everyone is sure.

The Director of Marketing and Marketing Manager look at each other, not really knowing what to say about such a horrendous idea. But since there are already several other television commercials in rotation that have similar lame approaches to selling Glade products, they aren't sure what to say or do. All eyes turn to the telephone speaker in the center of the room.

Fisk Johnson: I like it!