Just ASK Bacon: Do You Relish This Opponent?

Howdy! It’s you’re good ol’ pal Bacon checking in from the campagn trail, and I’m also checking out my mail bag to find some more entertaining letters from people like Phillip Halloran in Sioux City, Iowa:

Dear Bacon,Are you aware you have a political opponent in relish? I keep seeing a commercial for a relish packet running for office! And one man says the relish packet saved his life? What gives?!?

Well Phillip, it appears you have been caught off-guard and you shouldn’t be concerned. I belive this is the commercial you’re talking about:

The commercial is actually a public service message from the Ad Council encouraging people to vote. Despite the numerous airplay of this commercial (and a :15 version of the same spot), I have confirmed my good buddy the “old relish packet” is not running for office. In fact, he is resting on his ranch in Wyoming and has no desire to get back into the political race. And as for him saving a life, that’s a story he doesn’t like to share much. I think doctors call it post-tramatic stress disorder, so I won’t bring it up here.

Now back to the commercial… it’s actually from the 2006 election period, and encourages younger people to vote. By saying not voting = voting for an old relish packet implies not voting is basically throwing your vote away. It’s a novel idea, and a humorous look at why everyone should vote during election time. But there is a big problem here.

When you go to the website referenced at the end of the commercial, you end up with nothing you expect to see at a “go out and vote” website. In fact when you first look at it, you think you’ve been duped into the wrong website. But it is indeed a website for the Ad Council… promoting good karma and not good condiments! Someone may want to tell the Ad Council this, since thousands of people are going to a website that doesn’t advertise what it’s supposed to (Here’s the cached website, thanks to Google).

If this can get cleared up, then people won’t think they’re going to the wrong website. And hopefully people won’t think relish is running for office. I have enough on my plate, and I don’t need relish on it!

Have a question for bacon? Ask him at bacon@justaddbacon.com.