Video: Kenneth Cole hits on surefire nutroots marketing scheme; Update: eBay too?

posted at 1:02 pm on December 19, 2008 by Allahpundit

No proof that it’s a genuine KC spot, but HuffPo thinks it is and so do I. A hoaxster presumably would have targeted a brand that’s more famous for its footwear, like Nike. The “just do it” joke writes itself.

Assuming it’s real, I think it’s shrewd. The upside is free publicity from the vid going viral and maybe ending up the target of an O’Reilly rant or two; the downside is the risk of a conservative boycott, but we’ve always been paper tigers when it comes to that and a spot this tepid isn’t going to spur us into action. Given the huge nutroots contingent online generally and on YouTube in particular, I’m actually surprised we haven’t seen more (lightly) political ads aimed at them. Maybe marketers didn’t know how much gold was in them thar blue hills until The One mined them for a few hundred million? They know now.

Exit question: The KC ad department couldn’t come up with anything more witty or pointed than this?

Update: No sooner do I hit “publish” than Copyranter forwards this along. Better than KC’s.

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I could have done this but of course, I have a job and pay taxes…..God Bless Liberal Laziness that can allow this type of creativity!

SDarchitect on December 19, 2008 at 1:05 PM

Assuming it is real, it itself is enough of a reason for outrage, but the bigger outrage is how ugly most KC shoes are (says remorseful buyer).

Buy yourself some Cole Haans or Alan Edmonds, or something nice. Don’t waste your money! (Their dress shirts can be nice, though.)

emailnuevo on December 19, 2008 at 1:15 PM

Shrewd. KC can count on the nutroots cashing their welfare checks and running right over to the nearest KC retailer.

amerpundit on December 19, 2008 at 1:17 PM

Kenneth Cole usually has a ‘lightly worn’ shoe drive each year around Christmas. Before clicking on it, I thought the ad might be in regards to that – something more along the lines of the Ebay ad “Shoes you don’t want? Donate them at the Kenneth Cole shoe drive!”. That would have at least served a purpose. This ad is just stupid. I’ll add Kenneth Cole to the list of stores that I’ll claim to be boycotting but it won’t matter because I never shopped there to begin with. ;)

JadeNYU on December 19, 2008 at 1:18 PM

I stopped buying Kenneth Cole products about 10 years ago – after they put out an ad to the gun industry. It was in email form and cc’d ‘the NRA, GI Joe’, etc.

“Your products are making a killing,” it said.

I don’t mind companies taking a political stand. But those that want to mix politics with business will rightly lose the business of those that disagree. And despite what the Dixie Chicks may think, that’s not un-American.

just_some_guy on December 19, 2008 at 1:18 PM

Meh, Stupid and not all the funny. Of course, the shoe throwing didn’t interest me to begin with.
Massive corruption in Illinois, however…..

I’ll add Kenneth Cole to the list of stores that I’ll claim to be boycotting but it won’t matter because I never shopped there to begin with. ;)

LOL. I’ve never bought KC shoes or clothes or whatever the crap he sells so I’m in the same boat, baby.

mjk on December 19, 2008 at 1:20 PM

nice to see W helping the Economy out during this rough stretch

jp on December 19, 2008 at 1:23 PM

This add doesn’t upset me – but the way Bush was treated and the reaction of the left does. If Obama was treated the same way I’d also be upset. Once again the nutroots hatred of Bush exceeds their ‘love’ of country.

gwelf on December 19, 2008 at 1:31 PM

Seriously, this is the best “burn” libs could come up with even with all their superior communications skills compared to W?

Wow, seriously lame.

Branch Rickey on December 19, 2008 at 1:32 PM

sockandawe.com — Offensive, but engaging.

raybury on December 19, 2008 at 1:33 PM

one of many big problems in this country today is that nobody respects the office of the Presidency at all anymore. Because of that, and the resulting Politicizing of virtually everything, most presidents will end up unpopular eventually. Clinton was lucky enough to take power right after the Soviets fell and FP related stuff was a relatively mild period(though in hindsight certainly the ball was dropped).

jp on December 19, 2008 at 1:33 PM

but HuffPo thinks it is

Then I’ll pass.

christene on December 19, 2008 at 1:34 PM

And who has collected and distributed the most shoes to Iraqi children? That’s right. The US Military. Your, welcome, moonbats!

Blake on December 19, 2008 at 1:36 PM

Was I supposed to deadpan during those spots, because they were lame.

Bishop on December 19, 2008 at 1:39 PM

No proof that it’s a genuine KC spot, but HuffPo thinks it is and so do I.

Actually, what would be funny is a video of Arianna forcing her flunkies to take off their shoes so she can throw them at Bush (the least-talented Gabor sister would never throw her own shoes away…)

jon1979 on December 19, 2008 at 1:41 PM

These adds smell like feet

Kini on December 19, 2008 at 1:48 PM

What a shame, eBay doesn’t know how to spell “Christmas.”

Maxx on December 19, 2008 at 1:49 PM

Your = You’re

The leftards can joke all they want. But the truth of the matter is that the moonbats can’t deal with the fact that Bush is out of office in a month and that their Iraqi poster boy is having the crap beat out of him by his fellow Iraqis. Too bad, so sad.

Blake on December 19, 2008 at 1:50 PM

Actually, what would be funny is a video of Arianna forcing her flunkies to take off their shoes so she can throw them at Bush (the least-talented Gabor sister would never throw her own shoes away…)

jon1979 on December 19, 2008 at 1:41 PM

Arianna = a voice worse than nails on a chalk board. With all her bucks you would think she could buy some voice lessons to teach her not so sound so annoying and to improve her pronunciation. Can’t believe that with all her time in the UK/US she still sounds like she is just off the boat.

Blake on December 19, 2008 at 1:52 PM

I’ve found the perfect gift for Allahpundit.

Blake on December 19, 2008 at 2:08 PM

And who has collected and distributed the most shoes to Iraqi children? That’s right. The US Military. Your, welcome, moonbats!

I know, right? We had to destroy that country to save it, you know.

angelat0763 on December 19, 2008 at 2:13 PM

♫♪ Met a man an Iraqi man who danced for you ♫♪
♫♪ The Ol’soft shoe ♫♪
♫♪ Jagged hair and scruffy beard he threw a shoe ♫♪
♫♪ At you know who ♫♪
♫♪ Got hauled off to jail, hauled off to jail ♫♪
♫♪ Got beat up inside ♫♪

Kini on December 19, 2008 at 2:21 PM

Any violence against Republicans just shows how evil Republicans must be that anyone would hate them so. But any violence against Democrats shows how evil Republicans must be to be so full of hate.

/liberal “logic”

JohnJ on December 19, 2008 at 2:22 PM

Any rag-arm who can’t even hit a 60-year old man with a shoe in two tries can’t play on my dodgeball team. Stick to soccer, weenie.

whitetop on December 19, 2008 at 2:22 PM

Is it just me or is Bush kinda smilin at the guy?

saltydogg14 on December 19, 2008 at 2:27 PM

Any rag-arm who can’t even hit a 60-year old man with a shoe in two tries can’t play on my dodgeball team. Stick to soccer, weenie.

whitetop on December 19, 2008 at 2:22 PM

I thought the same thing when I originally saw the video. Sadly our children are being taught soccer and won’t be able to hit terrorists with grenades when they need to.

thomasaur on December 19, 2008 at 2:27 PM

A better ad would have been an actor as presidential aide or Iraqi cop behind the podium, picking up one of the tossed shoes and checking the logo to discover it’s a Kenneth Cole.

Having said that, they’re sure getting a lot of mileage with this thing. I wonder what the reaction would be if some third-world asshat threw a couple of personal items at Barack Obama.

capitalist piglet on December 19, 2008 at 2:43 PM

Is it just me or is Bush kinda smilin at the guy?

saltydogg14 on December 19, 2008 at 2:27 PM

I thought he was when I first saw it – like he’s trying not to laugh.

I love President Bush.

capitalist piglet on December 19, 2008 at 2:44 PM

The ebay ad was funny.

El_Terrible on December 19, 2008 at 3:35 PM

Pepto Bismol should do something with Code Pink.

The Ugly American on December 19, 2008 at 3:45 PM

Exit question: The KC ad department couldn’t come up with anything more witty or pointed than this?

I don’t know… I thought the “Need a new pair?” line was kind of sly.

JackOfClubs on December 19, 2008 at 4:00 PM

Better creative would’ve had Bush taking off HIS shoes and throwing them back with a bullseye shot between that idiots eyeballs. But I digress…

Kenneth Cole is anti-Second Amendment. Not that I was ever a fan of the clothes or the company, but this kind of stuff as noted appeals to the BDS crowd.

I’m certain with all my heart that when someone throws something at The One, and an out of work conservative graphic artist creates a similar bit, either he/she will be arrested or ol’ what’s his rainbow with that clean hands/warm heart son from Chi-town will come to The One’s aid and immediately call for a boycott of said company’s products & services. No one throws things at The One, no one makes jokes about The One!

Ah well….

Biffstir on December 19, 2008 at 4:54 PM