The American Heritage Dictionary explains "poetic license" thus:
"The liberty taken by an artist or a writer in deviating from conventional form or fact to achieve a desired effect."
So I propose the concept of "advertising license" defined thus:
"The liberty taken by an advertiser in deviating from conventional form or fact to achieve a desired effect."
I was standing at a petrol station this evening filling up my car (not literally) when I noticed that the petrol station has installed some television screens right above the petrol pumps.On the screen ads are displayed so people like me can be targeted while we wait for the tank to fill up.
Anyway one of the ads said that Dom Perignon, a blind wine cellar master, when he discovered Champagne was heard to say "come quickly, I have tasted the stars".
A charming image. Like small boys in the park, jumpers for goalposts etc.
Charming yet utterly false.
Over at Wine on the Web, they clarify that this is in fact a myth. Dom Perignon did have a problem with his vision (probably an eyelash in his eye or something along those lines) but he was most certainly not blind.
Unfortunately the truth does not end there. In fact he did not "discover" champagne either.
This reminds me also of last Friday night at a concert at The Point when I encountered something similar in the mens toilets.
Again there was a bunch of adverts above the urinals for the viewing distraction of men at work, as it were. Most were famous sports quotes. Some were believable while others were clearly misquoted or plain concocted and false.
For example the following quote:
"I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."
At this site the quote is attributed to Paul Hamm, a US gymnast.
At this site the same quote is attributed to Greg Norman, the Australian Golfer.
Advertisers huh. They'd tell you anything to catch your attention.
p.s. might write about the concert later. It was amazing.
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