The 5-hour Energy "doctor study"

[PatrickBateman]

CONTAINS 100% FRUIT JUICE!!!!...................................flavor

 

[marvdmartian]

They do it because it's easy, and it works. People don't listen, and they don't read.

Yep! I don't listen to (or watch) or read advertising! :biggrin:

Most of it is aimed at an elementary grade educated person anyways. Sometimes, the stupid sugar-filled cereal commercials make more sense than those directed at adults!

 

[IGBT]

apple ought to get into the energy drink racket. They'd sell a river of it just on anandtech.

 

[foghorn67]

Whisky and crack. It's part of this nutritious breakfast so you can start your day off on the right foot :^D

Crazy huh? They can name anything.

 

[SagaLore]

How I fix capitalism: End lying commericals, no more fine print alowed(uhh you can't read it so why is it there?) and you get your ass fined to hell if you mislead consumers, then we create a government sanctioned website that shows where every single product is made and gives you a break down of the facilities done by a 3rd party consumer group. This breakdown would include hourly wages of employees and their benefits plus a rating out of 10 of the factory working conditions and an additional rating on environmental impact. If you could instantly check these things on any product capitalism might actually turn this world into the amazing place it should be. Informed consumers are the savior of this countries economy.

I agree. There must be complete transparency, and immediate government fines rather than years going by and *maybe* a class action lawsuit that most people don't know about.

 

[SagaLore]

apple ought to get into the energy drink racket. They'd sell a river of it just on anandtech.

iJuice

 

[Craig234]

I agree. There must be complete transparency, and immediate government fines rather than years going by and *maybe* a class action lawsuit that most people don't know about.

If you want good government policies that are on the side of the people, you have to get money out of politics that lets the corporations buy elections.

 

[edro]

I saw the same commercial and instantly noticed their logical stretch of truth.

My first thought was how the hell they got doctors to agree to energy drinks...
then they said the doctors agreed with a low calorie version if they already use one.

bastards...

 

[SagaLore]

If you want good government policies that are on the side of the people, you have to get money out of politics that lets the corporations buy elections.

Also agreed - that is half our problem right there.

 

[Exterous]

There's a billboard near Lansing on 96 for
"Michigan's #1 rated Dentist!"*

*As rated by our office staff

The whole fine print thing is getting a bit old...

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Fine print is silly. Pretty much its only purpose is to mislead customers, and I think it should be abolished in real-time advertising. If companies can't find a way to represent their products in a positive light without misleading statements, then they shouldn't really be advertising them.

Advertisers are liars. I especially remember a commercial from years ago. I don't remember the brands involved, but the phrase was 'AntiperspirantX keeps you drier than the leading deodorant'. Ya think?! Fuckin assholes :^S

That's not lying.

 

[lxskllr]

That's not lying.

No, strictly speaking it isn't, but it's deceptive, and misleading. Leading someone to believe a falsehood is as morally wrong as telling a falsehood directly.

 

[BudAshes]

Fine print is silly. Pretty much its only purpose is to mislead customers, and I think it should be abolished in real-time advertising. If companies can't find a way to represent their products in a positive light without misleading statements, then they shouldn't really be advertising them.

Yes, fine print in tv commercials is proof that society is retarded.

 

[Ichinisan]

They are running a commercial that talks about their survey of 3,000 doctors and talks about what 73% of the doctors recommended while the spokesperson holds a bottle of 5-hour energy.

When you listen carefully to what 73% of the doctors recommended, it was this: "over 73% said they would recommend a low calorie energy supplement to their healthy patients who use energy supplements." Then it says you should ask YOUR doctor, since they already asked 3,000 doctors.

To me, that recommendation says in other words, "If you are going to use an energy supplement anyway, might as well use a low-calorie one."

How that could be interpreted as a ringing endorsement of this specific product escapes me.

I've noticed the same thing and experienced disbelief that an ad can be so shamelessly manipulative. This isn't the 1800s! Makes me decide that I never even want to try their product.

 

[Ichinisan]

Disgusting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCqT3fdAAHQ

I wonder why comments are disabled...?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Disgusting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCqT3fdAAHQ

I wonder why comments are disabled...?

She says exactly what the statistic means. I don't see what the problem is except for the small number of mentally deficient individuals who might be misled and somehow overdose on their product, and it's the responsibility of their guardians to protect them.

 

[Ichinisan]

She says exactly what the statistic means. I don't see what the problem is except for the small number of mentally deficient individuals who might be misled and somehow overdose on their product, and it's the responsibility of their guardians to protect them.

The last line is the disgusting part.

"Is 5-hour Energy right for you? Go ahead and ask your doctor. [snark] We already asked 3,000 [/snark]"

Reminds me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYgLAPhbyKg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-y_N4u0uRQ#t=8s

 

[Ichinisan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz8EQT2LB-w

 

[fatpat268]

These things are so fvcking stupid. Plus they are $3, who the hell is buying these?

Only idiots pay those ridiculous prices for energy drinks.

If you want energy drink out of a can, you can find various ones for a $1 or less. Generally it'll be some off brand, but hell who cares. They practically all taste the same anyway. Or you can go to big lots or something, where they regularly have energy drinks for 75 cents or so.

But even then, that's an expensive way of buy energy drinks. Lately, if I want an energy drink, I buy the mixes from walmart. It's somewhere around $2 a box 7 packets, and you just mix it into a 1/2 liter bottle of water. It provides a similar kick as any other energy drink.

I also have those mio style energy things where you squeeze a shot of flavor into water or whatever, but they taste pretty nasty if you just use water. I have a cherry/lime version that tastes alright if you mix it into diet coke or something and turn it into a sort of energy cherry coke. I've seen a lot of stores have their own generic store brand version for usually a buck less than the actual mio brand.

I've limited my energy drink intake lately though... one a day, max. I don't touch the five hour energy stuff at all though. The one time I did, it felt like my heart was trying to beat out of my chest. Don't have a problem like that with anything else.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

The last line is the disgusting part.



Reminds me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYgLAPhbyKg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-y_N4u0uRQ#t=8s

I don't see anything wrong in those cigarette commercials either. They never say that the doctors smoke the cigarettes because they believe they're healthier. They're more selling the status of a busy, educated, and fine-taste-having doctor enjoying the rich, smooth, yadayada of Camel. Granted, the advertisers know that stupid people will think "Oooh, doctors! Must be healthy" but they never come even close to stating that directly.

Of course, comparing nicotine to caffeine is not such a good analogy anyways.

 

[Ichinisan]

I don't see anything wrong in those cigarette commercials either. They never say that the doctors smoke the cigarettes because they believe they're healthier. They're more selling the status of a busy, educated, and fine-taste-having doctor enjoying the rich, smooth, yadayada of Camel. Granted, the advertisers know that stupid people will think "Oooh, doctors! Must be healthy" but they never come even close to stating that directly.

Of course, comparing nicotine to caffeine is not such a good analogy anyways.

I'm saying the intentional deception is disgusting. I didn't say there was an actual lie.

It's disgusting enough to turn me against their product, even though I use energy drinks all the time.

 

[CZroe]

I don't see anything wrong in those cigarette commercials either. They never say that the doctors smoke the cigarettes because they believe they're healthier. They're more selling the status of a busy, educated, and fine-taste-having doctor enjoying the rich, smooth, yadayada of Camel. Granted, the advertisers know that stupid people will think "Oooh, doctors! Must be healthy" but they never come even close to stating that directly.

Of course, comparing nicotine to caffeine is not such a good analogy anyways.

You missed the part where they planted Camels in all the doctor's hotel rooms before surveying them as they entered the convention. They also lied about the question they were asked. They actually asked "What cigarette do you carry, doctor?", which was probably a common lead-in to asking to bum a smoke.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

You missed the part where they planted Camels in all the doctor's hotel rooms before surveying them as they entered the convention. They also lied about the question they were asked. They actually asked "What cigarette do you carry, doctor?", which was probably a common lead-in to asking to bum a smoke.

Bribery is a completely different issue, and I don't see the difference in ordinary conversation between "What cigarette do you smoke?" and "What cigarette do you carry?" either. It's rare to bum a smoke off of a guy that doesn't smoke.

 

[ShawnD1]

If "over 73% said they would recommend a low calorie energy supplement to their healthy patients who use energy supplements" is actually spoken at a comprehensible pace in the commercial, I don't see how that is misleading at all. Poor college children cramming for exams being misled. ((((((((((

If you're stupid enough to think doctors recommend stimulants like caffeine and cocaine then there's a good chance you were going to fail the test anyway. Don't blame 5 hour energy for that failure.

Only idiots pay those ridiculous prices for energy drinks

Totally. You can buy an entire bottle of 200mg caffeine pills for $10. Someone who pays $3-5 for an energy drink that only contains 80mg of caffeine is retarded. (Red Bull contains 80mg caffeine)

 

[MrColin]

Whisky and crack. It's part of this nutritious breakfast so you can start your day off on the right foot :^D

I'm more of a coffee & grass guy.