Once when I was a kid, I bought some batteries for my Star Wars Han Solo pistol.
And I had no idea what political party the battery-maker (or Star Wars) endorsed.
These days, such purchases are fewer and farther between, as corporations have risen to the challenge of covering America in politics like snow draped the planet Hoth.
¡Ya están aquí los Reyes Magos! ¿Quién ha encontrado regalos de #StarWars bajo el árbol? pic.twitter.com/toAyp8TSKK
— Star Wars España (@StarWarsSpain) January 6, 2021
But I bring you a video the likes of which you surely assumed you’d never see.
In our current climate, it’s a newsworthy notable.
You’ve peered into product promotions bringing home messages of various sorts:
But you haven’t encountered one like this.
It’s an overt act, with potentially punitive results.
The kamikaze culprit: a jewelry company.
Egard Watches has certainly gotten some attention with its liberty-lovin’ ad, which could easily be mistaken for a conservative commercial.
Scratch the word “mistaken.”
The three-minute baffler boasts a tone not too dissimilar to Gillette’s “toxic masculinity” take:
And it features Nancy Pelosi, Beto O’Rourke, and Don Lemon.
Bonus: Nazi references.
Surprise: They’re not aimed at conservatives — at least not in terms of the takeaway.
Egard plants its foolhardy feet: Rather than racial identity ruling as king of categories, the clip claims “all of us are defined by our individuality…created under God as divine and unique.”
Another noteworthy notion:
“Freedom, despite all its greatness, can be taken in an instant…freedom is worth fighting for.”
And what is freedom?
“[It’s] more than a moment, more than a single actions, freedom is greater than any single idea. Freedom is everything.”
It ain’t your typical mainstream marketing.
So how are Egard’s watches?
Well, some look like this:
Enter to #win an Egard Luxury Watch! #Giveaway https://t.co/XJuVbM4cG2 pic.twitter.com/Su0bko5VF8
— Contests and Sweeps (@247Contests) January 9, 2017
#Highsnobiety Egard Watch Co. Taps MMA Icon Georges St. Pierre for Limited Edition Timepiece https://t.co/I5btYlK0LN pic.twitter.com/TXFGBlJu4V
— Kickz2Fire (@Kickz2fire) November 29, 2017
The company even released a “Thin Blue Line” model:
Thanks @EgardWatchCo for the Thin Blue Line watch, worth the buy. #BackTheBlue #SupportThoseWhoSupportTheBlue https://t.co/nlPxVihmXe 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/2uSyCiTNVk
— Honor and Respect LLC (@HonorRespectLLC) January 4, 2021
Tune in tonight for this great podcast in support of our LEOs!#ThinBlueLine #speaktruth #police pic.twitter.com/KYoKsEDzjF
— Egard Watch Company (@EgardWatchCo) January 8, 2021
A write-up on the watchmaker features photos of Hollywood celebrities such as Jamie Foxx and Jeff Daniels bearing its bodyclocks.
One curious quirk: You can “customize your own” timepiece by choosing a case, dial, bezel, and strap via the website’s Watch Builder.
To be clear, this article is no endorsement of Egard’s offerings, and I have zero experience with them.
But the ad is audacious.
Let us all know what you think:
And by the way, it’s not the company’s first idealogical endeavor.
In 2019, it responded to Gillette’s tackling of toxicity:
Bold move, Egard. But according to the culture — though you make watches — you’re behind the times.
-ALEX
See more pieces from me:
CNN Calls Tucker Carlson a ‘Parasite’ Over His Coverage of Chaos at the Capitol
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