From: wittmann@engr.wisc.edu (art wittmann)
Subject: Re: NordicFlex Gold, Amazing product!
Organization: College of Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: 25 Jan 93 15:53:32 CST
Originator: wittmann@muskie.engr.wisc.edu
Keywords: unrealistic, advertising, expectations


In article <1k1dr8INN33d@thor.genrad.com>, rep@thor.genrad.com (Pete Peterson) writes:
|> In article <1993Jan23.152653.6614@doug.cae.wisc.edu> wittmann@engr.wisc.edu (art wittmann) writes:
|>  >
|>  >I was watching a bit of TV the other day when a saw an ad for
|>  >an amazing product.  The NordicFlex Gold is much like the soloflex,
|>  >but much more impressive.  As the ad started out, the machine
|>  >didn't look all that impressive, but the announcer explained the
|>  >way it could transform your body into exactly the one you wanted.
|>  >
|>  >Not only did our hero get some new mass, BUT he also lost significant weight,
|>  >lost all the hair on his upper body, got a new hair cut and began excreting 
|>  >baby oil from his pours!  Now I don't mind telling you, I was impressed. 
|>  >I mean the announcer said the device was better than soloflex, but how
|>  >could I have expected this?  No where on the machine did I see any device
|>  >that appeared capable of shaving this guy's chest let alone give him a new
|>  >hair style.  Very impressive indeed!  On the other hand the baby oil
|>  >secretion has he a bit worried.  What might this machine be doing to cause
|>  >such biological changes.  I don't think this is likely to be good in the
|>  >long run.  Always secreting oil like that, it might be hard just to stay
|>  >seated in a chair.
|> 
|> There are lots of plausible possibilities that you've overlooked.  Why do you
|> assume that the hair was shaved off by the machine or even that it was
|> shaved off at all?

Ad claimed the change we where seeing was a result of using the machine.  I've
come around to thinking that it was probably just a bad skin reaction, 
probably the subject had some reaction to the cloth that covers the bench.
|> 
|> Perhaps it disappeared as a result of Adriamycin (doxorubicin) therapy
|> which would also explain the weight loss.  Alternatively, since it doesn't
|> seem likely that all the muscle gain was due entirely to using the Nordic
|> Flex according to their recommended schedule of 20 minutes per day, three
|> days per week, perhaps he was also taking some drugs that, in addition to
|> building up his muscles, caused his hair to fall out.  Then in either case,
|> perhaps he went to Hare Club for Men to get a formed rabbit-pelt to cover
|> his head.

It could happen.  Of course what you say would seem to make the ad out to
be less than honest, I don't see how the FCC could allow such a thing to 
happen.
|> 
|> Now, how do you know you saw baby oil?  Who would ever use baby oil on
|> other than a baby --- is this even legal --- is there not a "not for use on
|> persons over 2 years of age" statement on the bottle?  As most of us are
|> aware, the hair on our heads gets greasy if it's not washed every day.
|> Maybe body hair is the same way and if the hair all falls out, the grease
|> is emitted anyhow from the remaining hair holes, causing a greasy body.
|> Can any bald persons verify that the top of the head gets greasy even with
|> no hair growing there?  Another possibility is that the greasy look is from
|> some kind of ointment put on to deal with some skin disease that also
|> caused the hair loss.

I refer you back to my reaction-with-the-cloth-on-the-machine theory.
|> 
|> Note that the advertisement also promotes the decrease in body fat.  This
|> makes it clear that the hair loss was not intentional, but rather an
|> undesirable side effect.  After all, hair is primarily protein with no fat;
|> clearly shaving it off increases the percentage of body fat, making them
|> able to claim less fat-percentage decrease.

the claims where made based on the visual, nothing was really said about 
tangable measurables, so I think the jury is still out.
|> 
|>  >Anyway, now on to my question; does anyone have one of these truly remarkable
|>  >devices?  If so, tell us how it works, I mean if it's not a secret or
|>  >something like that.  I know some times, with these revolutionary products
|>  >they don't want you to tell unless people buy.
|>  >
|>  >Gotta love advertising!
|> 
|> Someone does indeed have one of them.  On this newsgroup, on 11 January,
|> there was a testimonial from a satified user who, while pointing out some
|> of the limitations and deficiencies of the machine, said that, over all, he
|> liked it very much and would recommend it.
|> 
Wonder if it was the guy in the ad... (Seriously, all you Nordic Gold fans,
the product may be fine, but the ad is a joke.  Don't send hate mail)
|> 
|> Do you really expect advertising which straightforwardly describes a
|> product and its relationship to other products in a neutral, unbiased way?

No, I prefer the ones like this that insult our intelligence.

|> Note that I have not used any of the above products/services; the
|> descriptions are based on information I have read.
|> 
You probably have an amazing career in advertizing ahead of you.

Art
Newsgroups: misc.fitness