Little Miss Matched and Zappos have been stalking me for weeks with ads. I had an idea that they must be tracking me somehow and this article from the New Times does a really good job of explaining the technology behind what’s gotta be the internet equivalent of a really pushy salesman.
The Zappos ad is quite specifically targeted – usually showing me various colors of Onitsuka Tiger’s Ultimate 81 shoes. I went once to their site to see if they had in stock the same color as the pair I have now (which is great but wearing out). They didn’t so I moved on without buying anything. With Little Miss Matched, I don’t get a targeted ad but I do get the same ad on pretty much every website I visit. After awhile, it is not only boring and monotonous but unnerving and creepy.
So I wrote them a letter today:
Dear Little Miss Matched,
Two years ago, my boyfriend was getting ready to leave on a business trip to New York and I told him he had to bring me something back. What he came back with were three packs of socks.
Socks? I said. Really?
No look, he said, they come in threes and they’re really cute.
I had to admit he was right. They were cute and I fell in love with them – I wore them all the time. I showed them off to friends and talked them up all the time.
Since then, he’s brought me other Little Miss Matched socks and I always put my favorite new releases on Christmas and birthday lists. I browse your site occasionally just to see what’s new – your socks are great – there’s always something I fall in love with.
And then the ads started. I can’t remember exactly what day it was this summer but suddenly it seemed like Little Miss Matched was stalking me everywhere I went on the web. At first, I found it humorous but now I just find it creepy. And to be honest, it’s changed how I think about you.
Little Miss Matched, you have become THAT girl. You know the type, the one in high school who thought you were so cool, obsessively followed you around, tried to be friends with all your friends and generally just didn’t know how to back off or give you any breathing space. You wanted to like her but she just seemed so desperately aggressive. If only she would just chill out and accept that you have a life that doesn’t revolve around her 24-7.
I’m sorry, Little Miss Matched but I think we have to break up. I was really into you but I can’t stand the constant attention. I love your socks but I hate your stalker tendencies. Sometimes I need a break – a chance to miss you, to wonder what’s going on, to cherish the moments when we are together, sharing a mutual love of adorable socks. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you – it just means I only want to see you when I want to see you, ok?
Maybe after I stop seeing your ads everywhere, I can get over the trauma and start wearing your socks again or come back and visit your site. But until then, I’m going to keep my distance.
Sincerely,
Christiana
3 Comments:
lol, come on just buy another pair, puwease!
http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/funny-pictures-cat-wishes-to-access-your-cookies.jpg
Posted by steven mandzik on 30 August 2010 @ 14:57pm
I also have stopped shopping them because of their obsessive and definitely creepy stalkerishness!!! ”
It’s not you it’s me. OK it’s you.”
Posted by Lola on 31 August 2010 @ 10:10am
Sadly, after over a week of anxious waiting, they have nothing to say in return. Hmph.
Posted by Christiana on 8 September 2010 @ 19:08pm
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