Amtrak

May 14, 2000 8:44 AM

Amtrak is running one of the most bizarre promotions ever. Yesterday, I saw a bunch of billboards along the freeways saying "Do you have a face that can stop a train?" Below that was this URL: winafacelift.com. How a train company and facelifts go together, I don't know. It's almost as if they want their slogan to be "when you're too ugly for plane travel, take a train."
posted by mathowie (3 comments total)

I don't know, sound to me they want you to jumpt off the platform and catch the train with your face. Sick really.
posted by tiaka at 11:15 AM on May 14, 2000

Well, they're not actually offering a facelift -- the grand prize is $5000. The point seems to be that the San Diegans train is getting a "facelift" and becoming the Pacific Surfliner, with upgraded cars, service, and amenities.

Maybe there's some connection with an older Amtrak demographic, but I agree that as a promotional hook, it's simply bizarre. But we seem to be in an age of bizarre advertising.
posted by dhartung at 11:21 AM on May 14, 2000

i was pretty offended at first, but further investigation (hey, it worked, we looked, right?) tamed the fingers - they were about to hit the keyboard in a massive spew on body acceptance. Speaking of body acceptance, my newly sized-twelved (age and html will do it to you) self has been getting into this blog lately. That led me to this online zine which is also pretty rockin'. If you head to Phattitude (great name, too) be sure to check out this post for something pretty shocking.
posted by cadence at 5:35 AM on May 16, 2000