Something interesting that I don't know how to describe.

[aimeeandbeatles]

I thought the word may have been "paradox" but the dictionary didn't seem right. But I was reading an interview and a very smart, unnameable person said this:

All of this perhaps explains [his] ebullience when he arrived that afternoon for this interview. That, and the fact that he had just returned from the Nike shop in Westwood, loaded down with free goods.
"They'd seen that we wear their wrestling shoes, I guess," he told me. "So they said we could come over and get some stuff for free." [He] laughed. "When we got there they just started piling stuff on us: 'Oh, I like that one.' 'Great, what size would you like?' After we had more than I could carry, they said, 'Don't forget, we've still gotta go over to the sportswear.' Then, when we were all finished, they looked at this enormous pile and said, 'We better give you something to carry it all in,' and brought out these huge leather equipment bags."
He shakes his head in disbelief. "You know," he says in his soft Florida drawl, "when you're broke, nobody gives you nothin' -- nothin'. But as soon as you can afford it, it's 'Sure, go ahead, take whatever you want.' It's ab-so-lutely backwards."

So ... why do they do this? Give people lots of free stuff when they can easily afford it? Do they expect this guy to give them an endorsement or something? (I, for one, can't see him doing that.) Or a promotional photo of him nearly collapsing under the weight of the stuff?

What do you think?

 

[NYHunter]

There are benefits to sucking up to those who have status I suppose. Even if it's just a hope that you will receive those benefits.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

"Benefits"? Sorry im not sure what that refers to.

 

[azzaman333]

Does Nike get mentioned if they don't give him a crapton of free stuff? No. It's clearly advertising.

 

[stormerne]

You're talking about it. Other people are listening. It's cheap advertising. It works.

 

[peter grimes]

So ... why do they do this? Give people lots of free stuff when they can easily afford it?

I worked for a company that was directly involved in this sort of thing. We would approach vendors and ask them if they wanted their products to be seen being used by celebrity X. Rarely did the vendor decline.

People buy things that people they look up to use. Just like others have pointed out.

The reason vendors don't give free stuff to poor people is because once Louis Vuitton bags are being used by poor people rich people won't want them.