Miller Lite's new ad

I was going through my reader today and came across this little gem from Hoosier Beer Geek

"Unless you've been living under a rock, there's a good chance you've been subject to Miller Lite's newest ad campaign, in which they state that Miller Lite is "triple hops brewed". While the statement is true, it doesn't mean much, and might be a little misleading.

Imagine you're baking up a batch of cookies for sale to the public. You'd like to say you make a quality chocolate chip cookie, but you've only got 3 chocolate chips per cookie. You're starting an ad campaign for your cookies, in which you'd like to differentiate your brand. Your marketing team comes back with the follow options:

1) Don't mention the chocolate chips, and don't try to sell your cookies as chocolate chip cookies. Sell your cookies as a good time with attractive women. This has worked for you in the past, but not well enough to gain the sort of market share you'd like to have.

2) Mention the chocolate chips, but also mention the flour and eggs used in the making of your cookies. Don't mention that everyone uses these ingredients. Also don't mention that in 1982, the Center for Science in the Public Interest reported that your cookies contained propylene glycol alginate (a seaweed extract), water, barley malt, corn syrup, chemically modified hops extracts, yeast, amyloglucosidase, carbon dioxide, papain enzyme, liquid sugar, potassium metabisulfite, and Emka malt (a food coloring). I'm still taking about cookies.

3) Mention that you added chocolate chips to the cookies THREE TIMES. Which you did, technically. You might even say your cookies are "TRIPLE CHIPS BAKED".

So, cookie salesperson, which campaign would you prefer your brand run with?"

This was GREAT! I love beer and love advertising and felt the need to share with you...

But the greater question that needs to stem from this amusement is whether or not you're doing the same with your brand or brands? How often do you spin a number or two to fit what you are talking about? How many times have you said you offer this, when really you offer that, which is something that could become this. (are you confused yet?)

The truth is, there must be a level of ethics coming back to the marketing stage. I struggle with it just like everyone else. We want our product to appear to be the best, after all we feel like it is, so it must be!

If your product is good enough, it should be able to sell itself right?