Editing 1096: Clinically Studied Ingredient

{{comic
| number    = 1096
| date      = August 17, 2012
| title     = Clinically Studied Ingredient
| image     = Clinically Studied Ingredient.png
| titletext = Blatantly banking on customers not understanding that it's like a Hollywood studio advertising that their new movie was 'watched by Roger Ebert'.
| imagesize =
}}

== Explanation ==

This comic is poking fun at a phrase which some ads use to boost sales of their product. They state that their product contains a "clinically studied ingredient", which consumers assume means that the ingredient has been clinically tested and ''proven effective'' (or at the very least, not harmful), although the latter is, strictly speaking, not implied by that statement. The phrase just states an ingredient was clinically studied, and doesn't mention the findings of that study (which, for all we know, could have found the ingredient to be ineffective or harmful). In other words, the phrase is used in elusive marketing techniques, making consumers believe something (which encourages them to buy the product), without committing to saying it explicitly.

In the comic, we come in the middle of a conversation with a female character telling [[Cueball]] that she's been tested, the implication being she's talking about {{w|STD}}s. However she does not reveal the results of the tests (which is the primary information Cueball could be worried about), and when Cueball inquires, she acts like he is being unreasonable to also want that information. In this way, [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] is making an analogy to how the marketer might think consumers would be unreasonable to want to know the ''results'' of the clinical studies on the ingredient.

In the title text, {{w|Roger Ebert}} is a famous film critic whose favourable reviews are few and far between. However, we can expect most big name movies to be watched by him. Simply stating that he saw a movie doesn't necessarily mean that he liked it.

{{Comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | date      = August 17, 2012
 | title     = Clinically Studied Ingredient
-| image     = clinically studied ingredient.png
+| image     = Clinically Studied Ingredient.png
 | titletext = Blatantly banking on customers not understanding that it's like a Hollywood studio advertising that their new movie was 'watched by Roger Ebert'.
+| imagesize =
 }}
-==Explanation==
+== Explanation ==
-This comic is poking fun at a phrase which some ads use to boost sales of their product. They state that their product contains a "clinically studied ingredient", which consumers assume means that the ingredient has been clinically tested and ''proven effective'', or at the very least, not harmful, although neither is, strictly speaking, implied by that statement. An example of this appears on many body wash  products, bearing the phrase "Tested by dermatologists for sensitive skin" or something similar. The phrase just states that an ingredient was clinically studied and doesn't mention the findings of that study (which, for all we know, could have found the ingredient to be ineffective or harmful). In other words, the phrase is used in {{w|False advertising|deceptive marketing}} techniques, leading consumers to believe something which encourages them to buy the product, without committing to saying it explicitly.
-In the middle of the conversation, a woman tells [[Cueball]] that she has been tested, presumably for {{w|Sexually transmitted disease}}s. However she does not reveal the results of the tests, which is the primary information Cueball could be worried about, and when Cueball inquires, she acts like he is being unreasonable to also want that information. In this way, [[Randall]] is making an analogy to how a marketer might think consumers would be unreasonable to want to know the ''results'' of the clinical studies on the ingredient.
+This comic is poking fun at a phrase which some ads use to boost sales of their product. They state that their product contains a "clinically studied ingredient", which consumers assume means that the ingredient has been clinically tested and ''proven effective'' (or at the very least, not harmful), although the latter is, strictly speaking, not implied by that statement. The phrase just states an ingredient was clinically studied, and doesn't mention the findings of that study (which, for all we know, could have found the ingredient to be ineffective or harmful). In other words, the phrase is used in elusive marketing techniques, making consumers believe something (which encourages them to buy the product), without committing to saying it explicitly.
-The title text mentions the legendary film critic {{w|Roger Ebert}}. At the time this comic was published (a year before Ebert's death), one could expect him to have watched most big-name movies that were coming out. Simply stating that he saw a movie, therefore, does not necessarily mean that he liked it.
+In the comic, we come in the middle of a conversation with a female character telling [[Cueball]] that she's been tested, the implication being she's talking about {{w|STD}}s. However she does not reveal the results of the tests (which is the primary information Cueball could be worried about), and when Cueball inquires, she acts like he is being unreasonable to also want that information. In this way, [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] is making an analogy to how the marketer might think consumers would be unreasonable to want to know the ''results'' of the clinical studies on the ingredient.
-Impressive-sounding but meaningless advertisement claims are also the subject of [[624: Branding]], [[641: Free]], [[870: Advertising]] and [[993: Brand Identity]].
+In the title text, {{w|Roger Ebert}} is a famous film critic whose favourable reviews are few and far between. However, we can expect most big name movies to be watched by him. Simply stating that he saw a movie doesn't necessarily mean that he liked it.
-==Transcript==
+{{Comic discussion}}
-:I can't help but admire the audacity of the marketer who came up with the phrase "contains a clinically studied ingredient"
-:[Cueball is sat on a bed, talking to a curly-haired woman standing close by.]
-:Woman: Don't worry - I've been tested.
-:Cueball: ...and you're clean?
-:Woman: So many questions!
-{{comic discussion}}
 [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
-<!-- [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] Disputed! -->