Pollack. Or pollock, if you like. Sounds like a perfectly reasonable name for, well, anything doesn’t it? Foodies will recognise it as a white fish, widely regarded as a cheaper, versatile alternative to cod and haddock.
What’s the blog in that, you might think?
Well, it seems it’s been suffering from an image problem. Apparently Sainsbury’s have changed the name of the fish to ‘colin’ in their supermarkets. And reported a double in sales.
Um…what!?
So, that’s Co-Lin - or Colan, as it’s pronounced. If you ask me, Colan is a bit too similar to another word of unpleasant origin, which begs the question: what was wrong with Pollack? At worst, Pollack/ock makes me think of Jackson, colin on the other hand…well you get the picture.
I can’t decide if this ‘re-branding’ worked because we are such a brand driven society or because people just genuinely felt embarrassed at having to ask for said fish. Either way, the reasons are pretty stupid, and support my ever growing theory that society is getting a little bit more brain dead every day.
Of similar irritation this week, a friend reported that the newly opened Sainsbury’s supermarket up the road gives you instructions on how to ride the trolley escalator: “hold onto the hand rail”.
WHAT!? I KNOW HOW TO RIDE AN ESCALATOR WITHOUT TRAPPING MY FACE IN THE FLOOR AND BEING SUCKED INTO THE GREEN-LIT PIT OF OBLIVION BENEATH, FOR CHRISTS SAKE! I’ve been holding hand rails for years now! You might say I’m somewhat of a pro, in fact! So please, Sainsbury’s, gimmie a break!
Ridiculous.
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