05 July, 2009

Recession proof water bottles

Yesterday's National reports:

Bling H20, according to an emphatic Mr Boyd, is a “must-have” for everyone, and the fact that the bottles are reusable means they are affordable, even in the recession.

“You don’t throw them away once you finish, you just refill them,” he said. “There is a financial crisis and you can feel it, but the fact that these bottles can be refilled makes them affordable.”

As befits the aspirations of the product, the bottles are being sold exclusively at Harvey Nichols in the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. Naturally.

Prices range from Dh180 to Dh15,000.

How people spend their money is their personal choice. I don't care who buys this stuff. Or the gold plated SLR or the diamond encrusted Vertu...

but when someone tells me a 'bottle' of water is a 'must have' because 'it can be refilled' (and that alone makes it recession friendly), it makes me want to bang my head in the nearest wall. are you serious?! and more importantly, what chemicals are you on?

The same story continues with:

The charity Global Water attempted to appeal to the consumer conscience, saying the price of the Dh250 bottle could supply a child in Africa with water for life. 

That, in my opinion, is a low blow. Just because someone can afford umm... crystal encrusted water bottles, they shouldn't be forced to think about... you know, reality.

14 comments:

Ghostwriter said...

I have ceased to be amazed by Dubai's mishappen, illogical journalism and the commercialists who buy into that crap.

Anonymous said...

The producers know very weel the water won't be that much of a hit elsewhereas it will be in Dubai, simply because other areas have lots of stupid people or lots of rich people. Here, you have many who are both!

Em said...

i heard about that. even saw stuff like it when I stayed at Trump's in Chicago. Usless stuff. Normal mineral water in a 'bling' container. Not worth it - unless you are so rich that you use money to wipe your posterior in the loo.

Dubai Jazz said...

the last thing one needs in a recession is to fuss over water...

Anonymous said...

So this is bitching about water bottles? or how OTHER people spend THEIR money? Or the reporting?

I'm not sure what the point of this post was... Hemi?

i*maginate said...

what a powerful brand to make a post :)

*branding*

hemlock said...

ghostwriter: actually i thought the story was really well written. maybe just me, but i found loads of sarcasm (or what felt like sarcasm) in it :D if i were Mr Boyd, i'd be hiding my face with shame...
but then, if i was Mr Boyd, i wouldnt be associated with that crap to begin with.

anon 19:10: makes you wonder how the stupid rich ones manage to stay rich.

MJ: heh - woman, let's not even go there. my fav is this guy who sells signed pieces of turd for $1,000 each.

DJ: but it's so 'affordable'!

abit: me thinks i was bitching about how stupid PR people believe the consumers to be. it's like, seriously? a Dh 15K container that holds water is a 'must have'? if Mr Boyd was giving me that interview, i wouldve hit him for insulting my intelligence.

“You don’t throw them away once you finish, you just refill them,” he said.

cant you just tell how SUPER MAGICAL this bottle is, because you can, like, totally refill it?

i have no doubts this guy genuinely believes what he said - how else would he be able to sell it. but his comment made me feel very, very, very stupid. and that's what the bitching was about.

i*: come on now girl, not everyone can talk about *salik*!

Ghostwriter said...

Didn't notice the sarcasm!

Anonymous said...

I believe a large proportion of people are foolish consumers. I was reading an article regarding the economic situation and how we got here and there was a quote from a Chinese govt. official laughing about the fact that Americans would buy 'anything'! I know this to be patently true, even though I am American.

KJ said...

You can also get a glass bottle if you're too worried about the reusability of plastic ones. Back home we've been using the glass bottles for over a decade.

Bush Mechanic said...

NSW Premier Nathan Rees has announced an immediate ban on all departments and agencies buying bottled water, including supplies for water coolers.

It was the first step in a Government campaign to reduce significantly the consumption of bottled water in the community, Mr Rees said.

In a double blow for the bottled water industry, the sleepy Southern Highlands hamlet of Bundanoon voted to ban bottled water, just hours after the NSW Government announced its boycott.

"These plastic bottles are everywhere," Mr Rees told reporters yesterday.

"It's not just the direct plastic bottle that causes the physical reality in our local environment.

"Bear this in mind. You take a 600ml plastic bottle, 200ml of oil has gone into its production.

"That's leaving aside the C02 that comes from transporting it around the place."

Anonymous said...

abit: me thinks i was bitching about how stupid PR people believe the consumers to be. it's like, seriously? a Dh 15K container that holds water is a 'must have'? if Mr Boyd was giving me that interview, i wouldve hit him for insulting my intelligence.

And landed your ass in jail for assault in the process.

This post is pointless. Its a products available for sale. If you want to buy it do so, if not then dont. Simple. To congregate on how stupid the product is and how stupid someone would be to buy it is pure opinion. In my opinion an FX35 is a waste of money and anyone driving one is a moron. See how that can work? Almost as bad as say, the KKK getting together and boasting on how the all black fraternity is the worse mistake since the... well they dont like Jews either, but you do get my point?

Anonymous said...
I believe a large proportion of people are foolish consumers. I was reading an article regarding the economic situation and how we got here and there was a quote from a Chinese govt. official laughing about the fact that Americans would buy 'anything'! I know this to be patently true, even though I am American.

I dont think that is only true for Americans. We as humans have a need to horde like little hamsters... but without the cutness. We have a NEEd almost to buy, and chances are, you will always find someone with that "need" for what you're selling.

hemlock said...

abit: your point is as pointless as my post.

i have an opinion, which in your opinion doesnt qualify as an opinion, while i feel your opinion on my opinion doesnt qualify as anything at all...
see how you can totally be accused of what you are blaming me for?
;)

my point is, the post was made.
if you dont like it, leave.

sh*t... wait! it doesnt work that way... i'll leave. =D

btw, i hope your brother knows how you feel about his car ;)

Anonymous said...

i have an opinion, which in your opinion doesnt qualify as an opinion, while i feel your opinion on my opinion doesnt qualify as anything at all...
see how you can totally be accused of what you are blaming me for?
;)

Its 11:20 pm, I've been up for like 20 hours, and I just drove from Sharjah... that made NO sense to me right now.

Oh he does. I call it the Jooti, the shoe.

Fine, make pointless posts. See of I care!

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