…it weren’t so sad. Talking about NutriSystem’s current ad campaign. Caught it in last Sunday’s Parade magazine. Headline: We Lost the Weight — Twice! Need I say more? Okay, I will. The ad then goes on to quote two ‘success stories’ (I call them victims). ‘Julie” says she went from a size 14 to a size 6. Again. And Amy says she lost 33 pounds the first time and 23 pounds the second time. Then she exclaims, “This program works!”
Our good friend Josie Leavitt, who holds Humor Weeks at Green Mountain, says to find the humor in a situation because laughing often helps us feel better. But while I can laugh at NutriSystem and what seems like idiocy to me, I also feel like crying at the millions who are probably taken in by this ad. We can be fairly certain that the market research said this was a message that sells.
You are so right. It is hilarious and very, very sad at the same time! They are pretty much admitting that they expect you to fail in the long term and have to come back for more (more money for them), but as you say, most people will not see it this way!
I think you missed one point in that ad. She had two kids and used the program (twice) to back to her pre- pregnancy weight.
I don’t remember any mention of pregnancies, L. Grace, but I hope you’re right. I’d certainly prefer that to the alternative that they’re promoting yo-yo weights (which, unfortunately, they do anyway, just because their program is a diet and we know that most people yo-yo with diets).
Thanks for pointing this out!
marsha
Weight Loss
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