Saturday, November 03, 2007

Truth in advertising

Yesterday I bought a new tube of toothpaste. There are far too many choices offered, and in the end I gave up trying to decide which was best and just went with the first one I picked up. This toothpaste said, on the front somewhere, ブーケ, which seemed a little odd as the only way I could imagine reading it was as bouquet. I wondered if it meant something different in Japanese, or whether there was some idea being promoted that if you use this toothpaste your breath will smell as fresh as a bouquet of flowers. I didn't worry about it, though. You know what advertising is like. They get a bit carried away sometimes with the extravagant language and over-the-top imagery.

This morning I tried the toothpaste for the first time, and to my horror discovered that there was nothing extravagant or over-the-top about the language at all. The toothpaste actually smells like a bouquet, and using it is like having a bunch of flowers stuffed into your mouth. I didn't even know I knew what a bouquet tasted like, but apparently I do. It is REVOLTING. Also, it makes me feel as though I am the lead attraction in some bizarre funeral rite.

I'm going back to old-fashioned mint.

5 comments:

torrygirl said...

Did it have that odd minty aftertaste that seems to go with all flavoured toothpastes?

Floral flavours definitely do NOT belong in edible substances. I once ate lavender sorbet, which managed to taste exactly like the smell of lavender. It was a very odd experience.

Badaunt said...

There was no minty aftertaste. I might have been able to stand it if there was a minty aftertaste.

Or maybe not. The flowers are hard to get past.

Flowers are only edible if they don't taste like flowers, in my opinion.

OzBurger said...

I personally stick with Auqafresh, it's sold as Mcleans in Australia - so I get to use the same type of toothpaste as "back home".

Bill C said...

Chrysanthemum and petunia breath? Ew.

Unknown said...

I've nearly finished my organic Australian lemon myrtle toothpaste, and am still very unsure about it...