Please Kill The Mudds

- The Mudds are here:

http://www.wearethemudds.com

Above is the new Commander campaign, featuring the Mudds.

Here is what I envisioned: A family made of mud, living in Mudville, using a (suitably muddy)Commander to get around because you can navigate Mudville….Only In A Jeep. They could close it with the Mudds coming out of a car wash, so we can get a clear shot of a clean Jeep.

That’s not what we get. From my point of view, here are some of the problems with this spot:

1. The Mudds aren’t muddy. They’re diseased. There’s goop on their faces, and a bit tracked through the house. But otherwise? No mud to be found. There’s apparently no mud, as well as no joy, in Mudville. If they’re the Mudds..make them muddy! This isn’t even bad TV-movie “muddy”. This is bad sit-com “muddy”.

2. They go through almost the whole spot without showing the faces…and thus without showing any mud. The chief problem here is I was so preoccupied with looking for mud I didn’t pay any attention to the Jeep (maybe because it didn’t have any mud on it!) At least if they had fully mudded faces it would’ve been ever-so-slightly better. I can’t help but think that the concept was watered down.

3. It’s good they introduced this before Halloween, because when they turned around, the effect was repulsive. I mean, they do not look well, and the image that sticks with me is the two parents turned around looking at me with their diseased faces. I’m thinking Night of the Living Dead here. Again, *that is the image I take away*. Now, if we were watching an advertisement for the Mudds TV show or movie, that’d be fine. But ostensibly we’re watching an ad for some type of vehicle. This makes it decidedly not fine.

It’s really utterly mindboggling how awful this is. Especially since it’s a Jeep ad! How do you screw up a Jeep ad so badly!? Jeep’s the one division that should be a no brainer to advertise. BBDO should have ‘Only in a Jeep’ tattooed to their foreheads (backwards, so they can look in a mirror and read it). If the advertising concept doesn’t advance that ideal, then forget it.

That’s what they should have done with this idea…forget it. � ]]>
�

Still Musing….too Complicated?

Good day. Well, I am going to delve right into this today. The Presidential Commission appointed by “Dubya” has issued their preliminary findings. And…….. wouldn’t you know it, it is just government being MORE government!! Instead of doing as the President directed….like reform this divisive, insidious, unfathomable tax code, the commission instead proposed NEW taxes! OH BOY!! Just what we need. How about we take away all the home owner’s tax exemptions on the interest they pay?? Isn’t that a great new reform? And while we didn’t bother to look at HR-25 (FairTax Bill) we just think that replacing the current system would be too COMPLICATED for the American people. Now, isn’t that very thoughtful of the Commission? I mean hey, who understands this IRS current code NOW?? Certainly no one in government except it intimidates everyone, encourages wholesale cheating, steals from legitimate hard working people, and makes April 15th every year the most dreaded day in the country. How does it feel to be told that you don’t understand this? How do you like being thought of by your governing representatives as being too uneducated as to comprehend the tax laws?

So, lets see. Currently the tax code is written out over close to 100,000 pages of laws, decisions, and switch abouts to ensure that the government gets to your money before you do. Can you imagine? 100,000 pages. This is ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND pages of documentation. Is that not complicated? The only benefit derived from that is the hundreds of thousands of lawyers, accountants and book keepers than manuipulate the tax code every year to make their living. Literally forcing most of us to give up way too much of our income using a simplistic tax return or going through one of these tax “professionals” that take way too much of your income to show you ways to pay them from your tax deductions! Ask 100 of them specific questions and in 94% of the time you will get 94 different answers to the same issue! Ask the IRS and you will be given the wrong answer 84% of the time!!! Too COMPLICATED?? It is NOW for certain.

HR 25 is probably too simplistic for politicians to comprehend. It has been around for over 3 years. Finally, people are paying attention. And it has government running scared. The popularity of this bill represents the single biggest issue that America has faced since the declaration of War in 1941. Think not?? Think again. Just how complicated is 133 pages? That is correct. That is all HR 25 is. 133 pages long. No forms. No April 15th deadline. No income deductions. No IRS. No 16th amendment. All gone. You keep what you earn. You don’t report your income to the government and they can’t deduct it from your paycheck or your sales. Further, for those folks who are earning or living less than the poverty level, the Fair Tax provides monthly rebate checks for the necessities of life so that they are not forced to pay more than they can afford to live. No questions, just qualify and the check is in the mail. (Or directly depositied, whichever).

Folks, you need to get involved in this one. Go to Fairtax.org. This is the website that will give you more information. Do not let the government pull the wool over your eyes. The people have the power, and this bill represents all that is GOOD ABOUT AMERICA. More money, more jobs, more investments, more goods, and less government. What is wrong with that? As well, you can vote this off on ALLPAR too. Just go to Behind the Shed and vote. Thanks.

I noted that one of the chiefs of DCX has stated that there is no convertible in Dodge’s future. He made some sort of analogy that just amounted to sounding like a braying mule. Dodge is what? So, no coupes. No convertibles. Where is the competition going? What are they thinking? The popularity of the convertible is well documented. If not, then why do we see so many Sebrings running around with the top down? A Charger Convertible should have been the next logical choice in the evolution of the breed. By all means, the 300 should have had a Convertible already. Again, you have to wonder what these guys are thinking. A hotted up Convertible just completes the picture.

There seems to be an endless introduction of new Jeep models. I am not certain what management is thinking about there. With deference to Engineer Bob, I hope that they are all put together solidly and will find markets to sell in. I cannot help but wonder where the SUV market, large, medium and small will end up? Will it sustain like pick up trucks or will in fall off in a finite sort of market? Time will tell. I must say, for myself that I surely liked my Cherokee and probably should have kept it for myself. However, some of the new Jeep models that I have viewed over ALLPAR also quicken the heart. A couple of my friends have gotten new Jeeps recently. One a Grand Cherokee with the V-8. Won’t ever go off the pavement, but it is all decked out. Quiet and strong for sure. The new Commander resembles the old Land Rover style, but I like it. If I had a bunch of family, I would be looking at that one. Good bye Dakota……

So much for now. Just my $2.63………..

New Viper

Can’t wait for the ZC. I’m really looking forward to seeing what they come up with to fight the new Z06, which has proven itself a worthy competitor to the Viper. While I don’t think we’ll se any price drops with the ZC, I do think we’ll be seeing a much improved interior and far better performance. And when is that not a cool thing?!

~ E8]]>