Spam-maker Hormel Spends to Reclaim Name

An anonymous reader writes "Hormel, the company behind Spam (the meat product, not the unsolicited email), is launching an advertising campaign in Europe in an attempt to remind people it has been around a lot longer than offers of generic Viagra and fake Rolex watches. The BBC claims it will cost Hormel £2m."

Comments

Spamtastic

[Anonymous Coward]

I for one welcome our new spiced ham overlords!

Heh.

[Black Parrot]

Ads for Spam... go figure.

Re:Heh.

[Ziak]

The real question is will they spam us about spam being diffrent then spam?

Advertising campaign?

[micromoog]

I don't suppose they're getting the word out via a "direct email" campaign . . .

Advertising eh?

[The-Bus]

Perhaps in addition to their TV advertising, they could use other means? I know the internet is a really powerful place. Perhaps by individually contacting Europeans they are able to put their name to good use again. But we need to make sure all Europeans are contacted. I suggest Hormel engages in a direct electronic mail campaign to contact every European. To make sure the message is understood, I suggest the use of ALL CAPITALS.

That is all.

Please fix the summary (spam vs SPAM)

[sczimme]

The folks at Hormel have asked that people spell the name correctly when referring to their meat product - in all capital letters, i.e. SPAM.

See their Legal and Copyright Info page.

Re:Please fix the summary (spam vs SPAM)

[joelethan]

The parent is TRUE and INFORMATIVE.

See also SPAM and the Internet for their take on UCE.

Hornel's page on their SPAM trademark reads very humorously to the Netizen's eye. I recommend it.

OT: I fancy marketing a delicious processed meat called SLASHDOT.

/joelethan

spam spam spam

[fracai]

Maybe they'll just play Monty Python a bit more on the BBC

Re:spam spam spam

[Chris_Mir]

well, someone has got to post it ;-)

Man: You sit here, dear.
Wife: All right.
Man: Morning!
Waitress: Morning!
Man: Well, what've you got?
Waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;
Vikings: Spam spam spam spam...
Waitress: ...spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam...
Vikings: Spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam!
Waitress: ...or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.
Wife: Have you got anything without spam?
Waitress: Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Wife: I don't want ANY spam!
Man: Why can't she have egg bacon spam and sausage?
Wife: THAT'S got spam in it!
Man: Hasn't got as much spam in it as spam egg sausage and spam, has it?
Vikings: Spam spam spam spam... (Crescendo through next few lines...)
Wife: Could you do the egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam then?
Waitress: Urgghh!
Wife: What do you mean 'Urgghh'? I don't like spam!
Vikings: Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!
Waitress: Shut up!
Vikings: Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!
Waitress: Shut up! (Vikings stop) Bloody Vikings! You can't have egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam.
Wife: I don't like spam!
Man: Sshh, dear, don't cause a fuss. I'll have your spam. I love it. I'm having spam spam spam spam spam spam spam beaked beans spam spam spam and spam!
Vikings: Spam spam spam spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!
Waitress: Shut up!! Baked beans are off.
Man: Well could I have her spam instead of the baked beans then?
Waitress: You mean spam spam spam spam spam spam... (but it is too late and the Vikings drown her words)
Vikings: Spam spam spam spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful spam! Spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam. Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Spam spam spam spam!

"It's a meat!"

[plover]

Actually, Hormel has been pretty cool about this for many years. They have wanted to make it plain all along that lowercase "spam" was acceptable to them as a name for UCE, but uppercase "Spam" was reserved for their trademarked product. I personally think that was a well thought out decision made long ago with much foresight. Many companies made a rough time for themseleves by defending trademarks on the web in the earlier days, but Hormel has never been seen as the bad guy before.

I wonder if SpamArrest changes their name to spamArrest would Hormel drop their challenge?

It's a tough spot, though, because they've allowed some "dilution" of their name by not having defended it completely. I can't really blame them for wanting to shed the negative image of being associated with UCE, but I don't know what else they can do except give up their 60 year old name (usuall a really, really bad idea.)

Here's an idea Hormel

[Anonymous Coward]

Find the names and addresses of spammers around the world, then deliver tons of tinned meat product to their doorstep - and film the results.

Put ads out with the reactions of the spammers when they get their spam back, but in the original form. Slogan could be something like "They spammed us, we SPAMMED them".

good quote

[rhesuspieces00]

i dont know if its still there, but this is a good quote i came across on the spam.com website:

"Ultimately, we are trying to avoid the day when the consuming public asks, "Why would Hormel Foods name its product after junk e-mail?"
-Hormel Foods

http://www.spam.com/ci/ci_in.htm

my recipie

[morcheeba]

I take the spam and dice it up in to 1cm cubes. Then I take a cube and slice it as thin as possible. Lay it in the center of a big hamburger bun, and top with lettuce, tomatoes, 1/2 lb barbecued ground beef, onions, and ketchup.

Makes a great sandwich -- just don't eat the middle.

Spamfest

[freeze128]

My mother lives in Albert Lea, MN, not far from Austin, MN. Austin is a Hormel town, and every year they have a Spamfest celebrating the stuff. There are parades, music, and free handouts of spam and other goodies. A couple years ago she got a Spam piggy bank.

It just sounds like Hormel is expanding spamfest to encompass the globe. It's not horrible stuff. It tastes good grilled, fried, diced and mixed with macaroni and cheese..... And it doesn't ask you to click now to unsubscribe.