We live in a superlative culture. If a thing isn’t super, ultra, extra, power, etc, it’s not much of anything anymore. Here’s an example:
Phones –> cell phones –> smartphones –> Google’s new Nexus One “superphone”
If you have an important business meeting you can put on your power suit.
Politicians cinch up their power ties before a big debate or press conference. Regular clothes just won’t do. Especially if it’s Super Tuesday or they’re announcing a new “shock and awe” campaign with smartbombs.
Then, when they look back, they can decide if it was merely a mistake or an epic fail.
If you want to be healthier, you need to eat less regular foods and more superfoods. These are the top 14 superfoods, according to WebMD:
- Beans
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Oats
- Oranges
- Pumpkin
- Salmon
- Soy
- Spinach –see Popeye had this figured out a long time ago!
- Green or black tea
- Tomatoes
- Turkey
- Walnuts
- Yogurt
I think it’s all a marketing gimmick. Broccoli sales are up 30% since being named a superfood. And not one flavor of Powerbar made the list. Perhaps it only counts if you eat it during a power lunch in your power suit.
If you’re into running, you might like ultra running. Marathon finisher? Try an ultra marathon.
A couple of inches of snow as reported by the local news: “Arctic Blast: Blizzard ’09”
My credit cards say “Business Platinum” and “Diamond Preferred.” I did nothing to achieve this status.
Even laziness has been re-branded as power-napping.
In affiliate marketing, a fine line separates the affiliates from the super affiliates. Those are the ones that only stay at ultra-luxury hotels.
Jerry Seinfeld on medicine:
Nobody wants anything less than ‘extra-strength‘.
‘Extra-strength’ is the absolute minimum.
You can even get ‘strength’. ‘Strength’ is out now.
It’s all ‘extra-strength’.
Some people are not satisfied with ‘extra’, they want ‘maximum’.
“Give me the ‘maximum-strength‘.”
“Give me the maximum allowable human dosage.”
“Figure out what will kill me and then back it off a little bit.”
I think our obsession with superlatives says a lot about us.
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Tags: marketing
Hey! Leave my naps alone!
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