Once again, I present you with an image that defies comprehension.
I’m fairly certain it’s supposed to be some sort of animal. Beyond that, I’m going on pure speculation. I first thought “rabbit,” but the tail is wrong. Then “dinosaur with mouth open facing backwards,” but that doesn’t explain the pointy thing sticking out of its belly.
Let’s try seeing it in context. It’s part of the logo for MacDonald Auto Source. So perhaps it represents an animal that is fast like a cheetah or reliable like an elephant. No, neither of those work. After having given it serious thought (seriously), I think it is a kangaroo. The tail and rear legs are right, and the two things extending to the left from its head could be very large ears. The three protuberances on the right might be, from the top, a long, narrow face/snout; two front legs; and a pouch either gaping open or with a pointy joey’s head sticking out. Let’s go with that theory.
Now the trouble is to try and explain why an automobile dealership would want to associate itself with a mammal that is not exactly the model of smooth, elegant transportation. “We hop to your service.”?
I think I might make a habit of ridiculing strange or stupid logos. It doesn’t take much effort, and it guarantees me a steady stream of W titles.
81
brooXmark - Marketing Consultancy by Stephen Brooks 
January 16, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I seem to remember that many many years ago their slogan and tv advertising were indeed something to the effect of “Hop On down to MacDonald Pontiac…”
So it appears that they believe that they have some huge following and brand recognition with the ‘Roo and they don’t want to change like Electrasol.
In both cases, they are dumbasses.
January 16, 2009 at 5:24 pm
OK, so they have a (bad) reason for using the kangaroo. But why draw it so terribly?
January 16, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I seriously think it’s at least a 10 or 20 year old campaign image, so maybe the designer died and they’re too cheap to have it redone.
It does have an early eighties look to it.
January 16, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I’m pretty sure that the pointy thing sticking out of the creature’s belly is supposed to be the nose of a little joey in the ‘roo’s pouch, which doesn’t resemble either parents’, but they’ve both decided to put that behind them–though not literally, obviously, because the joey has to face forward or it would suffocate– and move on with their relationship without blaming each other, and loving the joey for himself, not blaming him at all for the problems they have, because after all, he’s just a child.
It won’t work perfectly though, and he’ll act out in school, and then fall in briefly with a bad crowd right after high school. He’ll end up on the right track eventually, but that possession charge will be a part of every job interview that he won’t look forward too, and there’s still a scar on his neck where he had the tattoo.
So on the right side of the first image, it breaks down like this:
– Snout that belongs on an ant-eater
– Neck
– A pair of badly-drawn forepaws that don’t work as a sillouette
– Chest
– Joey’s bastard snout
– Belly
– Legs
– Feet
Which makes a lot of sense, if your motto is “We’ll Take Care Of You So Darn Good That You’ll Feel As If You Were In The Pouch Of A Kangaroo With A Big Lobster Claw Sticking Out The Back Of Its Head.”(tm)
May 13, 2009 at 12:08 pm
[…] the Heck is That? Part 4 May 13, 2009 — Stephen Brooks Continuing in the series (1, 2, 3) of inexplicable marketing images, here we have a variation: an inexplicable marketing […]
June 9, 2011 at 2:37 pm
[…] my continuing series 1, 2, 3, 4, of stabs at advertising “professionals,” I give you […]