At Long Last, Face to Face With the Flying Tub of Margarine

And so we have come full circle.

Historians of Losanjealous may recall that the first ever post on the site was, for some inexplicable reason, a spotlight on the announcement by Gold-n-Soft Margarine of their intention to fly a banner ad for their product over Whittier Narrows park on Cinco de Mayo. That inaugural piece, while fumbling for our eventual tone and content, relied upon a press release and a watermarked stock photo to flesh out the account.

Fast forward some 27 months later… It was with great delight that this past Sunday, I came face to face with the Gold-n-Soft Flying Tub of Margarine. The fabled Gold-n-Soft Flying Tub of Margarine, heretofore only read and dreamt about, was rendered real before my eyes. Over a crowded stretch of Santa Monica beach on this sizzling Labor Day weekend afternoon, the Gold-n-Soft Margarine banner gracefully sailed. Apparently tracing our coastal beaches from Palos Verdes to Malibu, Gold-n-Soft Flying Tub of Margarine silently broadcasted its message of a lower cholesterol butter substitute spread available for purchase.

As it passed overhead, I scanned the beachgoers down on the ground. Within my view, I did not see a single head pivot upwards in recognition of the Gold-n-Soft Flying Tub of Margarine. Was the entire effort futile? Is this outdated mode of passive advertising either ignored or doomed to go unheard? Whichever the case, the mere sight of it was reassuring.

Two years on, Gold-n-Soft is still flying their tub of margarine banner over crowded public areas on holiday weekends. They do not care if the vast majority will not see it. They do not care that of those very few that do actually see it, the vast majority will not purchase the product. But of those very few that see it, a very select few will purchase that tub of margarine. And it is for these special few they fly the tub of margarine banner. Call it faith. They fly the tub of margarine banner for the few, not the many. You might say we do the same thing around here at Losanjealous. Thank you for your continued purchase of our tub of margarine.


Bonus sighting, over Main & Hill