Woot.com’s two new keyword-targeted PPC ad campaigns on Google, when users search for certain ticker symbols and banking info:
Before you jump out of that window, why not spend your last remaining dollars at woot?
and
Losing your house? Without that mortgage to pay, now you can buy more of our junk!
I disagree with advertising analysts who say these are tasteless. Losses in the stock market and federal interest rates come with the territory of speculating in those areas. Plus, the ads deprecate their own product a little bit, reminiscent of South of the Border’s shoulder shrugging self-apologetic I95 billboards. It’s the most basic, instinctual comedic formula in which light is made of tragedy and nobody’s feelings are really hurt.
You can tell this copy was written by the editor of woot. Each day only one product is on sale, and he writes irreverent short fiction prompted by that product (partly a parody on yuppie apparel catalogs). It’s worth window shopping just for the daily dry wit.
