Episode 120: Get the grammar you have wished for (from and advertiser)

Mercedes pulls out another example of ending a sentence with a preposition with their "Lanterns" commercial when they say: "Get the Mercedes Benz you have wished for." This could have been as simple as "Get the Mercedes Benz of your wishes" and had some husband or wife muttering "Wish I may, Wish I might, the first star I see tonight....." and then they could go to a red carpet event where everybody is arriving in the new Mercedes Benz."

How about: "Get the Mercedes Benz of your dreams" with someone reading a book where instead of visions of sugar plums danced in their heads it is visions of sedans danced in their heads.

It is so simple to hear when a sentence ends a preposition with.

Episode 109: Nissan Easy Choice Advertisement Could Have Used Better Grammar.

"Nissan Easy Choice Sales Event" tells you that you can chose to go further, connect better, and get in easier. Three modifiers just left hanging. I understand that they are saying that you can get better gas mileage, better handling, maintenance, details, and do it now with less down payment or easier credit options. With whom am I connecting through the driving of a particular car? Aren't they treading on the Ford Sales Line "Go Further?"

They could say it so many different ways. They can play off the failed "Obamacare Promise by saying "If you like your mileage you can keep your mileage." How about "You Can Keep Your Car Company if You Like Your Car Company?"  They can also say "We can get you more bang for your buck when you buy a new Nissan and better gas mileage when you drive a new Nissan."

Episode 100: Go Further (with your tagline)

When it comes to basic in grammar, a sentence normally has two words: noun and a verb. A person could argue that there are a few instances where one word says it all: "Stop!" "Go!" All parents know the first sentence that their children learn: "No."

 It is very hard to coin a one word phrase for advertising purposes. Ford Motors is attempting to get car owners to maintain their vehicles using the tagline "Go Further." Go further than what? Go further where? Go further how? I blame it all on the infamous "Got Milk" campaign. Two word phrases can be trademarked. Trademarked phrases can still contain bad grammar.

I recommend: "Get more fun for your money." How about: "We keep you moving in the right direction."

Oh, by the way - #101 will also be from Ford.

Episode 60: It is the best we are made of.... Jeep

Jeep has a new commercial where they probably wish that they had used better grammar. The joined the 'End a Sentence with a Preposition" Club when they said "It is the best we are made of." It is the best Jeep that we have ever made.

Episode 58: Stop me if you have heard this before.

Taylor Kia is a Toledo Area car dealer who advertises that they will give you $4500 for a new car "even if you've been turned down before." The owner/spokesman for the dealership is doing just fine. Evidently the phrase wouldn't fit in the allotted screen space if they use proper grammar. Hmm. "Even if you've been previously denied." Their version has 38 characters versus 36 characters with the proper grammar.

Episode 54: Land Rover - Above and Beyond - Pike's Peak Climb

It appears that the person who created the new Delta advertising campaign created the Land Rover campaign. When you only have two sentences in your commercial, your tag-line should be grammatically correct. This is the third commercial I have viewed this morning, Tuesday, September 17th, where the grammar has caught my attention. The entire message of the commercial is "Land Rover. Above and Beyond." (The other commercials with poor grammar were for the Bagster and Green Giant.)

Two prepositions and a conjunction do not make a sentence.

Turn your grammar check on

It is bad enough that the grammar in the commercial is atrocious. It is probably worse that I only remember the commercial and what it was advertising because I wrote down the the offending line and the name of the advertiser. The commercial in question is a Mistsubishi  commercial that includes the line "Turn your blinker on."

 I don't even remember what version of car the commercial was advertising. I learned to drive while living in the State of Wisconsin. We learned to shoulder check our lane changes and to use our 'turn indicators' to let people behind us know what we intend to do. Every now and again the people behind me think that I am giving them permission to accelerate and block my lane change. Every now and again, while living in North Carolina, while traveling on I-40 through Orange county people would ride the 'lane ending' lane for a half mile or a mile, driving at near full highway speed,  with their 'blinkers' flashing, until they ran out of road.

It would be great if more people used their blinkers. If you are in a turn only lane, then you probably don't need to use it. It would be great if advertisers learned how to avoid ending a sentence or a tag-line with a preposition.

I propose: "Be a Thinker and Use Your Blinker."