...blow everyone off. That’s what Uncle Ben’s Rice did. They had an offer in Oprah’s and Rachel Ray’s magazines (think for a moment how much a full-page ad plus the blow-in card cost. Just stop and THINK how much this company had invested. Just THINK.) The offer screamed
GET A FREE* BOX
OF LONG GRAIN & WILD RICE ...all you had to do was go online to get your coupon (I assume, to gather your contact info.)
Being the curious type, and a rice lover, I went, as instructed, onto unclebens.com, entered the code RICE and was all ready to print my coupon… only to see the graphic reproduced here.
Oh my. “No longer available… due to overwhelming response.” I got blown off by that kind old man. Everyone loves him so much, he spits on my friendship.
They spent all that money…just to annoy everyone. Just THINK. How bad is that? Our campaign was too successful, so let’s throw away some customers?
We’ll leave the whole
GET A FREE* BOX
headline (*really just a BOGO) less-than-forthright come-on for another day’s rant.
The coupon they were offering instead of the deal? $1 off 2 boxes of rice. Jeez, is that miserly or what?
(Editor’s Note: I keep reading that blogs should have positive messages, so I sat on this entry a while before posting. But now I know: I am POSITIVE this was a really really poor way to handle the whole rice situation.)
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
As long as your picture’s not on a milk carton…
Due to overwhelming response?! I thought that was the object. I guess I don’t fully understand promotions. No wonder my picture’s not on a box.
I would love to hear Rachel Ray blast UB’s rice for on her show! I think I just bought a box for a little over a dollar, and they can’t give one free?! Surprising!