I’m The Best There Is, Throw Me Out
A couple of times in the last week I’ve noticed a new product: Scott “Xtreme” Rags. They’re so new they’re not even on the Scott website, as far as I can tell. But I saw them at Home Depot last weekend, and when I peeked into a store undergoing renovation a few days later. It’s a product that seems aimed at the contractor market, and I think it’s a strange mash-up. It’s a product simultaneously of the lowest and the highest value.
The whole concept of rags-in-a-box is twisted. If you’re calling it a rag, you’re sending a clear message: ratty, recycled, use it for something unpleasant, like cleaning a paintbrush, then throw it out. Or wash it out and use it for something even worse next time, until it falls apart.
But rags-in-a-box are clean and new. These are high-tech paper, and the “Xtreme” label makes them seem even more valuable (setting aside the silly spelling). They’re disposable, meant to be tossed out immediately after use. They eliminate the need to clean the cleaning product–one of the main inspirations for the Swiffer.
Scott Xtreme Rags may serve a valuable function for contractors. Things spill all the time, and having quick access to a trustworthy mopping-up tools is important. But the conflicts between the idea of a rag and the actual attributes of this product are a typical example of product dissonance. If it’s a rag, give me something that I can treat like a rag–don’t redefine rag for me. If it’s a high-tech contractor-grade spill-stopper, give it a name worthy of that important function.
[photo by arimoore]
