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Saturday, February 6, 2010

A Saturday Rant - The Nutrisytem Commerical



I decided to post a Saturday rant to express my extreme distaste for the latest, ubiquitous Nutrisystem commercial.

Marie Osmond doesn't really bother me; it's that Skeletor-on-crack-with-a-tanning-bed Amy that irks me to no end! With gripping commentary like "I didn't feel comfortable in my own skan" and "I went to the pool with my kads", I am ready to hurl. I found others that feel as I do as well.

If you really, really need something like Nutrisystem to lose weight then that is your prerogative. There is no easy or secret method to losing weight though. Eat right and exercise and you will be healthy. Yes, I know that means different things for different people. Seriously though - why be lazy and follow some BS, overpriced, overproduced food plan? I honestly feel you should save your hard-earned dollars and skip the pricey processed food plan. Do your research, talk to your physician, and invest in yourself instead of wasting time and money on something you probably won't stick to anyways.

Have you read a Nutrisystem box? It's processed crap in my opinion. I don't even feel that it qualifies as actual food.

Amy looks like crap. Period. If that is what Nutrisystem does for you then I would stay away from it.

That's just my opinion.

UPDATE: March 6, 2010 The bashing that I have been getting for criticizing the Nutrisystem spokesmodel has uncovered some interesting links:

Forbes discusses the genius marketing that took Nutrisytem into amazing profits. Amy has been employed by them since 2005 and appears to be one of their most successful spokes models in terms of revenue for the company. Her story is very, very effective in speaking to Nutrisystem's target audience. I am not in this audience and hence the commercials annoy me as described above. Good deal for Amy though, what an awesome gig! She's able to train for marathons, be a well-paid company rep, and probably not give a darn what anyone says about her. Nutrisystem wins even bigger, in terms of profits.

Here's some of what Forbes said: Atlanta mom Amy Tashlik-Caplan raves for two solid minutes about her body, 33 pounds lighter thanks to NutriSystem. "Look at me, I'm a size 2," she says on a daytime cable TV commercial, skipping along a beach in a bikini, smooching her husband on a footbridge and cuddling her baby at a picnic. The before and after shots are powerful. Then comes the kicker: "My husband said, 'I got my wife back,'" she exclaims. Each time the spot airs, dozens of women call NutriSystem to place an order.

Those calls connect to a dingy building on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Inside, from 5 a.m. to midnight, 200 telemarketers, trained to cajole callers into disgorging a credit card number, work the phones. Each salesman is ranked on the wall by dollars per call. The top dog brings in $136 every time his phone rings; he will earn a six-figure commission this year.


Excellent marketing!

UPDATE: August 5, 2013 Yes, you read that date right - this post sure has legs!  Someone claiming to be Amy from the commercial sent me an email.  Such a stir caused by little me.  Interesting, for sure!

25 comments:

justamom said...

I think you are really wrong!
I have a Master's in medicine & fitness & can tell you this person is clearly healthier now! I am certain her fat to muscle ratio has improved- her LDL, Blood Pressure, and other health problems have improved. This is clearly a case of improving from the inside out. Women should support other women for getting healthy. I have information on "Amy"- 40 yr woman with 2 small children- she has improved her health so she can participate in her children's lives.
Sounds like she is an inspiration to other Moms!
Hats off to her!

Mike said...

Phew! I was afraid I was the only one who thought she looked too skinny...

Apryl DeLancey said...

I definitely support everyone - men and women - getting healthier. I am actually not convinced that she is an actual Nutrisystem user and could be a paid actor.

By the way - I have a Master's degree in biomedical science and did hospital research rotations if it really matters in how right or wrong I am with this particular opinion. I don't think it does.

We are all entitled to our opinions, so thank you for stopping by and sharing yours. If Amy is real and healthier than I am very happy for her It does not change the fact that I am really tired of seeing the commercial 47 times a day only watching about an hour or two of television.

Unknown said...

I thought her eyes were very compelling.

Chloe said...

haha "skeletor-on-crack-with-a-tanning-bed"! couldn't have said it better myself.

on a side note, "Amy" may have lost 28 lbs and may be considered healthier because of it, but her intense tan cannot be good for her skin. we all have our unhealthy habits, so can we just recognize that being super skinny DOES NOT EQUAL epitome of health?!

Apryl DeLancey said...

Well said Chloe!

Lindsay said...

Crap, I thought if I lost a bunch of weight I would automatically become tan.

There's this local commercial that promotes not having to workout at all as long as you take two tablespoons of their liquid protein each night. What the?? Since when is it healthy not to exercise at all?

Apryl DeLancey said...

Haha! Good one Lindsay!

The tan thing is actually an old trick that bodybuilders have used forever. More tan = look leaner and muscle is more defined.

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's some seriously catty bitterness... Maybe weight is less your issue than jealous hostility. Who the hell are you to critique someone else's health (and their tan? COME ON!!)...

She may look a bit harsh but keep the claws in and you'll look WAY less petty

Apryl DeLancey said...

Crap. My secret is out. I'm jealous of Amy.

justamom said...

It's okay I think we are ALL jealous of Amy from Nutrisystem!!!

Apryl DeLancey said...

Wow, I had no idea just how fun the comments for this post would be.

Hahahahahahaha!

katiebarthedoor said...

I think Amy from Nutrisystem is a fabulous inspiration! I saw the commercial in Jan - ordered Nutrisystem and have lost 21 lbs ( so far)! I am a Mom, too- so when I saw the ad I ordered!
My girlfriends made some mean remarks like listed above- but then tried the program and all of us have been successful!
I think the mean & nasty remarks come from not understanding being over weight & then the relief that come when you get healthy!

Amy looks like a professional an athlete! She is 30 something with kids-that's just like me & my friends- IT WORKS!

The girls are all now supporting each other & planning a vacation together!

Why say mean things about someone who struggled with weight issues & then got healthy? We should applaud Amy for inspiring other Moms to get healthy!

Yea Moms!

Apryl DeLancey said...

Congratulations on your weight loss! I am so glad that this was an inspiration to you. It's awesome to hear that you and your friends are planning a vacation! You go, girl!

Honestly, the ubiquitous nature of the commercial is what annoys me the most. If it was not on 17 times (as it seems) every hour than "Amy" would have likely gone unnoticed.

I really wanted to point out to people that it takes more than just a fancy food plan to lose weight.

As for never being overweight - that is mostly true. I actually have a diagnosed metabolic disorder that put several pounds on me about 5 years ago. I diligently found the issue and have been back to my normal weight for about 2 years now. Trust me, I completely understand that horrible, tiring feeling.

I have more issue with Nutrisystem than Amy (if you read the post again you'll see that). Also, with many friends and family in the "industry" I am jaded and don't necessarily believe that Amy is even real.

Thanks for your comment and I am glad that you were inspired! I welcome you or anyone else to write a guest post about believing in this system any time.

Ethan Boyle said...

Amy said...

"I think you are really wrong! Blah blah blah."

Yeah, like your degree lets you be able to see someone is "clearly healthier" and you're so "certain her fat to muscle ratio has improved- her LDL, Blood Pressure, and other health problems have improved." WITHOUT EXAMINING HER YOURSELF. You discredit yourself and thus marginalize yourself with such insipid unqualified claims.

Craig said...

"Wow, that's some seriously catty bitterness..."

Your post makes every attempt to do only one thing, use manipulation against a female because you disagree with her. Every sentence contains " catty bitterness...", "jealous hostility", "Who the hell are you to critique someone else's health (and their tan? COME ON!!)...", "keep the claws in and you'll look WAY less petty". WOW, you must really think you can tool a woman with your words, really though, you post contains no valid information except for how you think woman should be dealt with.

katiebarthedoor said...

"Gentle blah blah blah..." Yeah ok, the others were zealots but you are obviously a paid poster. How much do you make doing this kind of work? If not, you really believe this junk and will just put the weight all back on just like everyone else who tries a gimmick instead of a lifestyle change.

For anyone else, what Apryl said is spot on correct: "If you really, really need something like Nutrisystem to lose weight then that is your prerogative. There is no easy or secret method to losing weight though. Eat right and exercise and you will be healthy. Yes, I know that means different things for different people. Seriously though - why be lazy and follow some BS, overpriced, overproduced food plan? I honestly feel you should save your hard-earned dollars and skip the pricey processed food plan. Do your research, talk to your physician, and invest in yourself instead of wasting time and money on something you probably won't stick to anyways."

Thank you, Apryl, for saying what is right no matter what kind of taste it leaves in someone mouth.

Apryl DeLancey said...

Thank you, Ethan! I appreciate your comment.

justamom said...

REALLY? You make nasty comments about "Amy's" tan & call her names? Skeletor on crack? REALLY??? Is this you being professional? Attacking someone?
If you have a problem with the program- well- that's another story,but you made a few comments about "Amy" that are really unnecessary! Your comments about her discredits your opinion. Why did you feel it was necessary to attack her, her tan, and as a person? Are you that mean?

I did read a little on"Amy" She was written up in Forbes magazine a few years ago. As far as I know- Forbes checks their resources. She has now kept the weight off for over 3 years. We should say good for her- not attack her for a spray tan.

-Thanks-

B. Murdock

justamom said...

oh... wait... so if she has kept the weight off for over 3 years- the program worked, in addition, the program taught her how to maintain her weight. uuuuummmm....she lost weight on the program & kept it off. SOUNDS LIKE A WINNER!

Apryl DeLancey said...

It this Forbes article the same "Amy"?

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/1030/170.html

In addition, this is discussing the advertising strategy and a commercial - not a back story on "Amy". The article discusses how brilliant the "size 2" commercial was for generating revenue for the company.

The best part about all this? Everyone has freely expressed an "opinion", including myself, and we are all entitled to that. We can all agree to disagree about someone that we have never met and not lose any sleep over it.

Lindsay said...

Great comments ...

What if some people just need a product like this in order to believe they can lose weight? We all (I hope) know that to lose weight you need to eat healthy food and exercise more. But some people just won't believe they can lose the weight without this product. It may make them feel thinner, which encourages them to stick to their fitness plan because they are feeling successful. Really the product has no effect, but since the person believes it's working, they keep buying it. Now that's marketing for you! Get people to believe they can't live without it, even though in reality it's useless.

Amy is a paid actor.

Apryl DeLancey said...

Great analysis - if the product is a stepping stone then I say "bravo". Unfortunately I think more get frustrated that they don't look like the paid spokes models and give up.

Amy is absolutely paid. She found a great gig and has trainers, etc. that help her keep in shape. That is the part they leave out of the commercial. I wish that followers would realize that and use the program as a stepping stone, not a way of life.

katiebarthedoor said...

How do you KNOW Amy has trainers and is an actor?

Apryl DeLancey said...

How do you know she doesn't?

katiebarthedoor said...

YOU made the claim she has trainers & is an actor. I am just asking how do you know this? Is it published information or a guess. You made a statement, so it appears you have information on Amy.

Apryl DeLancey said...

Read the post update that added to the original post and follow the new links. If it is the same "Amy" she lists her employer as NutriSystem on her FB page since 2005. The Forbes article that another commenter alluded proved that Amy was somehow an "everywoman" actually explains the marketing strategy of the company.

This is nothing new. Many of the spokesmodels you see on weight loss commercials started out as regular folks just like you and I. Some started as personal trainers others as fitness models or actors.

Amy was carefully chosen and then molded by the marketing team to speak to a particular target audience. She does. She inspires the company's target audience. These consumers buy the product.

Let's just be clear here - this advertising figure does not speak to me - that's all. I've never met Amy and I find the commercials annoying. Again, I am not in the target audience.

One day I might meet Amy the person by some chance and she's probably delightful. If she were a friend of mine, I would tell her that my personal opinion is that her stylist could have done a better job on the commercial shoot. That's only my opinion. No, I am not perfect and certainly don't look perfect all the time. We are all entitled to our opinions though - popular or not.

Wait...you do know that she had a stylist for the commercial, right? Hair, makeup, clothing...the works. Or did you think that was all completely natural? This is not a knock to her at all - this is the world of commercials and advertising. If you don't believe this then let me know when you're in the Los Angeles area and I'll be happy to take you to lunch with some industry pals (both entertainment and marketing) that can explain it to you. I'll even pay for yours.

It really isn't a big deal. It's just marketing and advertising. It's an example of great marketing because it speaks to the target audience's emotions in a way that feels authentic. Weight and health are emotional hot topics already and the campaign accounts for that and taps in to that perfectly.

If Nutrisystem helped you and your life is better then that rocks! I'm all for better health. Hopefully you used it as a stepping stone to other healthy choices. The system alone should not be your only health plan and I bet they tell you that somewhere also.

I'm serious about lunch too - I'm really actually quite pleasant and social.