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I’ve been looking closely at tool marketing images, and it’s started to become a general habit.
Dewalt tool boxes usually have smeared-on dirt and mud, to show you that they’re resistant to dust and weather.
It stands out at times, but I don’t think it’s a big deal. It plays into the “jobsite tough” theme.
Most people don’t realize it, but Dewalt puts a LOT of effort and attention into their product imagery, with application examples always depicting proper safety gear.
It might look a little awkward, but Makita’s depiction of a compact drill being used with a two-hand-grip is “by the book.”
Many tool brands include related tools in product application images.
Some brands mess up, such as how Greenworks shows a drill with a misaligned hammer drill or rotary hammer bit reaching into a populated electrical box.
I was looking at a meat grinding attachment for a KitchenAid stand mixer, and the images are a mix of neat and sloppy.
Here, the grinder is staged in a way to show meat being prepped for hamburgers.
On the right, there are fixings, with a couple of onion rings and bunch of tomato slices spilled onto the countertop.
The countertop appears to be clean, but is it “eat off of it” clean?
There’s also a butter knife with honey mustard or some other gooey-looking spread, and it’s laid down right on the counter. That’s supposed to go on food?
Some countertops are clean enough to eat or prepare food off of. But this one?
The KitchenAid metal meat grinder attachment has a “larger food tray” that “processes more ingredients in 1 batch.” But somehow there’s still ground up pepper and some kind of leafy herb straight on the countertop.
There’s a bowl for meat, another for seasoned meat, and 3 more for chopped ingredients. But then there’s onion and herb chunks spilled on the countertop.
Why?
This is just sloppy, right?
Bowls with ingredients on the cutting board, and loose ingredients spilled onto the countertop.
A little mud splashed onto a tool box seems benign in comparison.
In this one, there’s whole fruit (cranberries?), ground up fruit, orange and apple slices, and spilled sugar on the countertop.
Making sausages? Don’t forget to throw some onion pieces, peppers, and cut-up herbs on the countertop!
Blending some juice? Spill some sugar on the cutting board and fruit on the countertop.
A while back I posted about some ridiculous stock image choices. What’s being advertised here?
Seriously – can you guess?
See Also: Amazon Guessing Game: What Tool are They Selling?
Separately, looking up at a ceiling while doing something with a screwdriver? Major tool brands would keep the hard hat (or swap it for a helmet), and add in safety glasses.
Anyone in the market for a “badass” tool cart that you “buy once, cry once” over?
Walmart keeps targeted me on social media, with ads for “all my favorite things.”
Apparently they think I’m in the market for a cervical range of motion assessment set.
Dove keeps targeting me on Reddit for whole body deodorant.
The ads are auto-playing, and were on every page I visited for a day or two.
They’re calling it “Whole Body Deo.”
Deo.
Deo for your crotcho.
Thankfully, Dove didn’t include any application images.
Temu says “Don’t worry this is free. Seal the steal with a free gift.”
Nope. I have deep reservations about Temu.
Sanwa-America has a clever ad – “this is no Fluke. 80 years making premium multimeters in Japan.”
I’m not familiar with the brand, but the “no Fluke” double-meaning wins them some points. Or at least I’m assuming it’s supposed to have a double meaning.
As Fluke is highly well-regarded, “no Fluke” could have negative connotations.
The ad grabbed my attention and inspired me to learn more. Mission accomplished.
A “sleep aid for gamers.”
The company says that “Cutscene is perfect for… filthy casuals, hardcore sweats, content creators.”
There are also gaming pills.
Gaming pills…
Let me get this straight. Stand on a beam that spans a gap in the floor, and then cut it in half with a mini chainsaw?
When you see ads like this, they’re almost always selling the same no-name tools that you can buy on Amazon (I wouldn’t), but at 2X to 3X the price “on sale for a limited time.”
According to this Milwaukee Tool ad, you can use their Sawzall pruning blades on tree roots and stumps.
And… they’re absolutely right! These work a lot better than general purpose demo blades, even those with carbide teeth.
Milwaukee’s carbide-tooth pruning blades are fantastic.
I wish I saw these ads a few years ago – I would have worn out fewer blades.
Around 2 years ago, I came across this Greenworks ad where they claim to be the “most awarded brand in outdoor equipment.”
Really?
Greenworks ran multiple ads making the same claim.
I sometimes run into eyebrow-raising signage in stores.
Lowe’s had a Dewalt PowerStack-centered display where they made some bold claims.
Among other things, Lowe’s was claiming that they carry “more Dewalt power tools and accessories in-store than any other national home improvement retailer.”
Ah, here’s the teeny tiny fine print. It says this is based on “the total number of point-of-sale core SKUs of power tools and accessories (including batteries and chargers, excludes outdoor products) offered at brick-and-mortar USA locations only, measured as of November 29, 2021.
Home Depot has Dewalt’s Atomic line of cordless power tools. Does that not count as “core SKUs”? What about FlexVolt tools, which also aren’t available at Lowe’s?
Power tool accessories includes screwdriver bits, right? Lowe’s carries two lines of Dewalt bits – FlexTorq and Tough Grip. Does that inflate their count of power tool accessories?
Excluding cordless outdoor products?
Lowe’s ad didn’t give me good vibes.
Buy a pellet grill blind box for $399 for “a pellet grill worth up to $699”?
How many people are getting their money’s worth, and how many aren’t?
Is there really a market for $399 mystery grills?
What’s a “Flaming River Big Switch and Lever Kit”?
This was a focused Amazon ad on social media (Instagram).
Amazon also paid money to advertise floppy disks.
These are high density Verbatim Microdisks, 10 per pack, each with a whopping 1.44 MB of storage capacity.
I’ve learned to forgive a bit of extra dirt smeared on a tool box.
