The Null Device
The gods of consumerism: Brand
mascots, their high priests and their therapists: (Salon)
...sober-suited corporate executives spend their days pondering such
ontological questions as: Does the Pillsbury Doughboy actually make
the cookies, and if so, are they made from parts of himself?
..."We don't want people to really think about that part," says Ready.)
It's a little disconcerting to discover, after reading marketing documents
from Kellogg's, that Snap! Crackle! and Pop! ... have more richly developed
inner lives than several of my own friends.
From elf dossiers, we learn that Snap! is the oldest and the wisest,
"the leader and problem solver" of the bunch. Pop! is the "irrepressible
child ... usually the one who pulls gags and gets the 'last word, in
the form of a pun.'" Crackle! is that perennially misunderstood
"middle child ... [who's] never quite sure of himself, but tries to keep
order between the other two.'"
"In the case of the M&Ms, there were three deep pools of potential conflict.
One is that they're a duo, with clashing personalities. So there's a certain
amount of conflict between them. No. 2, they're small. They're
2-and-a-half-feet tall, slightly clumsy, hard-shelled characters trying to
maneuver in a world of humans. No. 3, they are candy-covered chocolates in
constant danger of being eaten. Out of these sources of conflict, we have
written and produced over 60 spots. And there isn't a dud in the lot."
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