Pure Genius

I believe I witnessed a stroke of marketing genius this week. I went to Nordstrom with the very spefific intent of sniffing some of Philosophy's new holiday bath scents. Specifically, Red Velvet Cake. Yeah, I'm all over that for my Birthday/Christmas wish list. Top it off with a cocoa butter rub down. Ah do decla-yuh!

Anyhoo, the store was bustling. And I do mean bustling. Outside those streak-free glass doors, the mall population was listless at best. Store clerks leaning on their elbows, a bit of an echo as I walked the faux-marble tile. It was the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, after all. It's understandable. Not inside Nordstrom. I thought for a second I had been transported back to the "glory days" of Reaganomics where 18% interest on bank CD's meant $300 bottles of perfume made nice office gifts. They might as well have had a banner hanging across each entrance emblazoned with "WHAT RECESSION?" There were at least two dozen employees at the cosmetics counters alone, and about as many in the shoe department. Big smiles. Piano music in the background.

For a split second there, a pair of leopard print stilletoes with hot pink trim were calling my name. *get back evil Sirens* It didn't matter that I'm still jobless, even though I graduated seven months ago. Pure. Genius. Help people forget. Step inside our store and we'll take you back for a while to better days. *whispers* Mind you, we won't be paying your heating bill, or your mortgage, or your credit card bill. *louder* Those shoes make your calves look fabulous! I think someone's been stealing pages out of Don Draper's handbook.

It made me wonder, if I walked around that afternoon, handing out my card and telling people about Out of the Gray, what kind of response I might have gotten. Encouraging smiles, whipping out checkbooks? Hmm. I suspect more likely "Don't you know times are hard for everyone?" scowls. The Me Generation hasn't actually gone anywhere. Like the Law of Thermodynamics for energy, selfishness can't be destroyed, it just moves unilaterally. Heck, I'm still daydreaming about those stilletoes, not these poor people.

I wonder if Nordstrom's marketing team is for hire? I only need them for about two hours. *scratches chin* On second thought, nah, I'm not interested in creating ice castles. My hope is built on firmer foundations than that.

Blessings,
Liz