Stinking Like Diddy

Sometimes you see something that makes you wonder if the people responsible for that thing have any connection to reality or if they are living in their own world where the skies are purple and roses bloom forth from open wounds. Every day while walking to work in New York, I am confronted by this a large billboard of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs clambering out of a helicopter with two hot girls.

On the actual billboard there are the words “I AM KING” and information about purchasing the cologne from Macy’s or other fine stores.

Let me tell you about the commute to my job — a job which does not involve me wearing a tuxedo or being surrounded by women who cannot seem to wear clothing that actually cover their bodies.

I live in New York City and in Manhattan, I walk to 96th street and Broadway, where I descend underground and get on either a 2 or 3 express subway train — or a 1 train if I am not particularly in a rush to get there and am early enough. Many times, the train is so crowded that if I tried, I could not possibly fall over.

I get off the train at 34th street and walk two blocks and approximately three avenues to get to the office. On my way there, I see hundreds of people who are all in a rush to get to their own places of work. They, too, are not wearing tuxedos and are not flanked by scantily clad women.

It leaves me wondering this: What is the target audience for this cologne? It’s certainly not me. I am not King. It’s not the majority of people I pass on the street every day. Are they flying in helicopters and enjoying the company of nearly naked women? I do not see that being the case. So why put out an advertisement that can be constantly seen by the eyes of the proletariat if it is meant for 1% of the population? Is it meant to attract attention to the cologne or to Diddy?

Or is the idea that since our actual lives do not contain helicopters and white tuxedos (featured in another I AM KING advertisement) we should buy the cologne to signify that we aspire to fly around in helicopters? The advertisement certainly does not make me want to purchase even one drop of the stinky liquid.