Duane Reade's slogan is "Your City. Your Drugstore." Despite being purchased by Walgreens, they still ask for your business by telling you that they get NYC and they understand you NYers. Unfortunately, they don't even know what NYC is.
I was in the Duane Reade today, buying some "whole natural almonds" for $3.99. It's one of their many Duane Reade branded products that tries to relate the product to the city in a clever or humorous way. This one says "8 million nuts, one tiny island." I think this is funny and fair. What it is not, however, is accurate. Can anyone see why?
Well I'll tell you why. It is a well known fact that there are approximately 8 million people living in NYC. It is an even better known fact that Manhattan is an island. However, what should be known my anyone or any store claiming to be a NYCer, or someone who "gets" NYC, is that NYC includes all five boroughs, including two islands (Staten and Manhattan) one non-island (Bronx), and two sections of a large island (Brooklyn and Queens as the west part of Long Island).
Even if you're a Manhattan snob (whether you live in Manhattan or elsewhere like my roommate, who lives in FBG and refuses to acknowledge that Brooklyn is part of NYC) and say that the lesser 4 boroughs are technically NYC but not really, then you still have to admit Duane Reade failed on this package design, because (1) they operate in all five boroughs and (2) it would have to say "1.6 million nuts, one tiny island."
I imagine, some ignorant and/or manhattancissistic person living in Manhattan and working for whatever ad company writes this stuff knew of the 8-million people number tossed around in conversation and never realized that didn't mean 8-million people live on Manhattan. (I also think the city uses the "8 million NYCers" statistic in ways that it intends people to not stop and think about it, since NYC is a tourist destination partly as one of the most densely populated area in the world, which is more impressive if you found a way to fit 8 million people on the little island.
Anyway, I don't expect tourists to know NYC is bigger than Manhattan, or expect them to set foot outside Manhattan more than twice (i.e. the trip to and from the airport), but if Duane Reade is going to be NYC's store, it should figure out what that means.
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7 comments:
What's FGB?
IDK, but FBG is intended to be Flatbush Gardens.
"However, what should be known my anyone or any store claiming to be a NYCer..."
There's no such thing as a "NYCer." It's NYer as in New Yorker, not New York City-er.
Thanks. While I respect your opinion, I respectfully point out that there is also no such thing as manhattancissistic (a word I made up to mean narcissistic, but not about your ego, about your ego in relation to Manhattan). This (NYCer) too was made up, because it's a discussion about accuracy, and the fine people in Buffalo, Albany, Utica, Rochester, and a thousand+ other places in the great and large state of NY may be offended by the presumption that a NYer is someone living in NYC.
Are you serious? This is a ridiculous post and I can't believe anyone would take the time to actually write it. Also learn to spell "Staten" instead of scrutinizing the packaging of your drugstore food stuffs.
p.s. I really wonder where you are from because you obviously are not a born and bred "NYCer"
Dear Anonymous, if that is your real name:
"Are you serious?" No. Thank you for asking.
"This is a ridiculous post" I agree, why then did you take is seriously?
"I can't believe anyone would take the time to actually write it."
I can't believe anyone is so daft as to believe reading/commenting on random blogs is different from writing them, waste of time or otherwise.
"Also learn to spell 'Staten'"
I have corrected your suggestion to more properly read "learn to avoid typos better." Thank you for your observation, it has been corrected. Also, thank you for your suggestion, my typo rate is a serious problem, as my work requires an enormous amount of writing that must be typographically flawless. I'll work harder, just for you.
"instead of scrutinizing the packaging of your drugstore food stuffs." Even with all the time I waste with ridiculous blog posts, I still have plenty of time to scrutinize substantive errors in marketing ads, learn how to spell Staten, and work on reducing my typos. Talented, I know.
"p.s. I really wonder where you are from because you obviously are not a born and bred 'NYCer'"
p.s. I really wonder how you got to the blog, because clearly you are not a reader (which means you have no interest in the usual topic, FBG, which means I don't care about you). As stated several times elsewhere, I am from Florida. I have no idea where you are from. I've never met someone born and raised in NYC that wasn't a major, if not complete tool, but there are tools everywhere.
Thanks for stopping by, please don't come back.
"one tiny island" ... hilarious.
PS. Haters gonna hate. But it looks like you already know that.
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