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January 27, 2005 09:49 AM

Broken: PBS online store merchandising

PbscropPbs0127The PBS.org website shows an unfortunate error in merchandising in its online store: the product graphic of a stuffed animal leads visually right into the promo for the program "Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State." See the live site at shoppbs.org.

Thanks to James Schmill for the pointer.

Posted in Advertising

Comments:

This really does not seem broken to me. Perhaps an odd juxtoposition, but I don't think anyone will be confused that they're saying get your kids Auschwitz.

Posted by: Joshua Wood at January 27, 2005 11:56 AM

Joshua, the text reads, "Pick up a Little Something for Your Kids...Auschwitz" Yes, the average person will deduce that the stuffed animal is what to pick up for the kids. However, there's an unavoidable association one makes when looking at the page initially. An association I'm sure PBS did not intend. Advertisers know better. Unequivocally broken.

Posted by: Conant at January 27, 2005 12:22 PM

BROKEN. It's stupid design.

Posted by: sam at January 27, 2005 01:01 PM

Lol as i read it i get the impression im getting this "cat" thing from the nazi state in auschwitz

Posted by: Dragon at January 27, 2005 02:35 PM

It's not broken anymore. The top part of the link takes me to "Kids Shop", and the bottom part takes me to the page for the Auschwitz DVD.

Posted by: A1 at January 27, 2005 04:02 PM

A1-

It's not the links that are broken, it's the visual effect--similar colors, no border, makes the text from the one seem to flow into the other.

Posted by: n8 at January 27, 2005 04:28 PM

It looks like a Christmas catalogue intended for Ahhnold Schwartznager's house

Posted by: J.D. at January 28, 2005 12:58 AM

Conant,

No. That is not what the text reads. The text reads:

Pick up

a Little

Something

for Your

Kids>>

Auschwitz

Posted by: Schuyler Hausmann at January 28, 2005 04:56 PM

Yes. I ommitted the arrows, because the effect is "Pick up a little Auschwitz for your kids," regardless of whether there are arrows pointing to the kitty. Maybe the cat's name is Auschwitz.

BTW, ellipses indicate ommited material.

Posted by: Conant at January 28, 2005 05:17 PM

The two ads were probably designed separately then randomly placed together. Btw, the cat's name is Sagwa.

Posted by: MattZ at February 1, 2005 02:21 AM

The page is broken, but also look below it in the top sellers. A DVD about Fiedel Castro. What says American more than a DVD about a Cuban dictator, eh?

Posted by: J.D. at February 27, 2005 05:11 PM

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