Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
I like this idea, only I think it should be run by the government.

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Advertisments on your bills

Imagine if coca-cola pays for $1 of your phone bill!
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Quite simple: electric company, phone company, whatever, gives a consumer product seller some ad space on your bill. the beauty comes from the fact that that the companies make it clear that the cost of your phone bill is being offset by the advertising, creating a culture of gratitude for the corporate benevolence.
Madai, Aug 12 2004

Coca-Colanisation http://www.newint.org/issue135/real.htm
For [Madai] [Worldgineer, Oct 05 2004]

[link]






       hmmm....sounds good, as long as the phone companies don't just up their charges even more, which the would. bastards.
yabba do yabba dabba, Aug 12 2004
  

       I already get ads in my bills. Generally of the mail-order variety (Get three items free - just pay for shipping!), though also company-partner ads (Use your AmEx at Tower Records and get 5% off any CD!).
Worldgineer, Aug 12 2004
  

       Worrisome. Ads on bills --> I sign up for automatic bank account payment --> I never look at bills again --> Phone cpy adds all kinds of extra charges --> I get screwed. Sure, I can check my bank statement, but how about when that's full of ads, too?
phundug, Aug 12 2004
  

       You could opt for the Ad-free printout   

       To increase consumer choice, I would suggest the ad-intensive bill and the add light bill.   

       the light bill would have 4 companies a month. The heavy bill would have many advertisers. The more advertisers you select, the more is taken off your bill.   

       Coke has a 1.6 billion ad budget/year. that is 5 dollars per person per year. Furthermore, the more they advertise, the more they sell. They can probably pull off $1 in select markets, and 10 cents in others. If the advertising increases brand loyalty, it will only fuel the buys even moreso.
Madai, Aug 12 2004
  

       //Coke has a 1.6 billion ad budget/year. that is 5 dollars per person per year.// There's currently 6.4 billion people in the world, making that $0.25 per person.
Worldgineer, Aug 12 2004
  

       There would probably appear a new surcharge on your bill to pay for the overhead of adding advertising to reduce the bill.
half, Aug 12 2004
  

       Worldgineer, coke probably does the bulk of it's advertisements in the US&europe. It's not advertising is those countries with per capita GDPs of $2000. when you're living on $6/day or less, you gonna buy a coke? doubtful.   

       When I said $5/year I was thinking US. if you lump in other developed countries, it's closer to probably $2. But, the more they advertise, the more they sell, so advertising more would be win-win for them.
Madai, Aug 12 2004
  

       Ha! I'll find links. Coke is probably the largest worldwide cause of tooth decay.
Worldgineer, Aug 12 2004
  

       I'm against it, because I feel certain data NEEDS to be easily readable by consumers. Picture my poor old grandmother trying to figure out what she owes on a telephone bill when there are zillions of ads and colored logos all over the place.   

       The "optional" method is impractical, too, because of the added administrative costs the phone cpy needs to develop the billing software. Even if the cola company paid for that, too, we'd be lucky to break even.
phundug, Aug 12 2004
  

       My credit card bills have ads on the return envelope (that I need to tear off and discard in order to be able to send the envelope). It's pathetic. It makes me feel cheated and exploited as a consumer. Good going, credit card company, yes, you, with the "simple living is good, we value you as a person" advertising campaign!   

       Anyway, this exists, but I guess it's not widespread enough to be widely known. Congratulations for having predicted reality.
jutta, Aug 12 2004
  

       The company would just take the money and run, don't even pretend they would pass the savings onto you.   

       Also imagine later, when your bill comes with a whole flyer. What a waste of paper and time.
eulachon, Aug 12 2004
  

       I already get ads in my Phone, Cable, and Credit Card bills. And it's a bad idea. Wastes lots of paper!
ooys, Aug 12 2004
  

       You know what will suck? The day when you HAVE to open that huge "val-pak" envelope full of useless coupons, because somewhere in it is your phone bill.
phundug, Aug 12 2004
  

       So, let's see... the phone company advertises in my credit card bill and pays that down, while the credit card company pays part of the phone bill. Um, what's wrong here?
RayfordSteele, Aug 12 2004
  

       Jutta, that's advertisements in your bills... Not ON your bills.   

       the whole thing about the sponsors showing their bill deduction is the KEY point of the idea. A coca-cola logo on a bill is a waste, a coca-cola logo on a bill and 10 cents of the bill is not a waste.
Madai, Aug 16 2004
  

       Well, personally ... If I don't have a choice, it'll successfully make me hate the people who pimp their recipient lists out to unrelated advertisers. But you're right, there's a subtle difference here between the ad on the envelope and the ad on the bill.
jutta, Aug 16 2004
  

       I know if I saw something like "Twenty dollars of your bill is being paid by Genericwebsite.com, I'd visit it. Heck, if it was $30 a month, I'd gladly pay for a $40 per month membership to said service because I'm a sucker like that. Now put on three or four ads like that and I'd be a very happy man.   

       Croissant for the mental image of a bill with ads on it...
bluefood2010, Sep 26 2008
  
      
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