Triumph of the marketer's art

Published on Saturday 6 October 2007 01:46

MODERN consumer society thrives on the manufacture of desires. Few finer examples can be found than in the arrival on the shelves of the high street chemist chain Boots of a product called "Expert Sensitive Refreshing Facial Spritz". It is, says the label, "specially formulated to refresh and hydrate". And the price of almost £4 is itself something of a validation of the uniqueness and expertise claimed to be contained within.

But what exactly is contained within? Close inspection of the label on the 150ml spray can reveals one single ingredient: water. But in the snazzy world of marketing, it never does to call a spade merely by its name. "Hypoallergenic and fragrance free," runs the blurb, " it instantly cools and freshens skin, helping to protect it from the drying effects of central heating and air conditioning." And for good measure, it adds that it is lanolin-free and has been "dermatologically tested".

Water - truly an ingredient by any other name would not be as desirable for the cost accountants. Here is a triumph of gobbledygook marketing, not just water dressed up as spray, but the essence of health and beauty presented as a rare and scientifically manufactured advance. Be thankful the blurb on the tin did not claim this to be a vital tool in the fight against global warming. This would be true, in its way, and as utterly fatuous.