This is a good thread. Having worked in the advertising and graphic design business for 20+ years in Dallas, NYC and here in Germany, I've wondered what the h_ll Böker was thinking with their ads for quite a while. The "creat an emergency situation" ad is only the latest in a series of silly, irresponsible ads they've run. BTW, I have NOT seen this series here in Germany. And I'd have serious doubts if they would be able to run it here.
Böker's problem isn't that no one knows of their products, it's that they have a serious image and quality control problem with their products! Hello! Look how many people who've replied to this thread have mentioned negative quality.
Böker is an old-line company who make pretty good to excellent slip joint folders, etc. That's left them shut out of the lucrative market for tactical, liner locking folders. And the one's they've brought out have faced an uphill battle (pun intended) against the US companies like Benchmade and Spyderco - not to mention Microtech. So what do they do: they run ads that imply owning their products make it easy to break laws; as if being armed gives one the freedom to do as one pleases. Wrong.
Hey Böker: people who buy and use multiple knives (knife nuts) are PRODUCT ORIENTED. If your products suck, they won't buy 'em. And word will get around. Fast. Also I'd estimate that about 99%+ of all these potential customers are honest, law abiding folks who place a high value honesty, personal freedom and traditional family values. Being a rugged individualist is good; robbing and stealing because you're too sorry to work (as my Grandfather would say) is bad.
Taking advantage of other people through power of arms is also bad. (Buck Knives are you listening?) Owning a knife isn't a license to use it in an irresponsible way.
What would happen if say, a noted US maker of handguns were to run an ad with the following headline above a photo of one of their semi-auto handguns:
"Tired of paying high prices at the grocery store? Name your own price: how about 'free?'
I bet they would get some publicity alright...
I hope both Böker and Buck will do some rethinking of their advertising strategies.
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