Steve -- effective consumer advocate


Chicago Sun-Times
May 18, 2005 Wednesday
NEWS; Pg. 4
A win for the nitwits among us
Shamus Toomey

You can now thank Steve Martin when you buy hot dog buns.

Mark Marcucci, president of bun maker Alpha Baking Co., gave credit Tuesday to Steve Martin's character in the 1991 film "Father of the Bride."

Marcucci said Martin's George Banks "appropriately and courageously" brought the need for eight-packs to the forefront.

Here's what a raving Banks told a grocery store worker:

"I want to buy eight hot dogs and eight hot dog buns to go with them. But no one sells eight hot dog buns. They only sell 12 hot dog buns. So I end up paying for four buns I don't need. . . . And you want to know why? Because some big shot over at the wiener company got together with some big shot over at the bun company and decided to rip off the American public. Because they think the American public is a bunch of trusting nitwits who will pay for things they don't need rather than make a stink.

"Well they're not ripping off this nitwit anymore. Because I'm not paying for one more thing I don't need. George Banks is saying NO!"

Vienna Beef president Howard Eirinberg said people did, in fact, raise a stink. But he and Marcucci denied any secret big-shot collusion. Still, the Martin rant played a role in the new marketing plan.

"We're done ripping off the American public," Marcucci said, jokingly.
- posted by sookeyjane 8/20/2005 06:35:00 PM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS