PRODUCT RATING: 0/10
This is a clip from Annie Leonard’s blog at the Story of Stuff, where she discusses a men’s sahving gel she discovered….
“Occasionally, I see some product that just freaks me out. That happened last week. I can’t stop thinking about this thing.
“It is a new men’s shave gel, which I read about in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/business/media/04adco.html).
“The product is called NXT, which is pronounced “next” and is made by Clio Designs. The shower gel itself is comprised of clear gel balls in a plastic bottle. But the gel is irrelevant. The whole article was about the bottle. NXT is packaged in a triangular shaped bottle with a light blue hue. The thing that freaked me out about this is that every single bottle has an LED light and 2 to 3 triple AAA batteries in it.
BATTERIES IN THE PACKAGING?
“Two or three batteries in the PACKAGE, not even for the product ???? Batteries have such toxic components that many cities ban their disposal in the regular garbage and require them to be dropped at a household hazardous waste facility. We’re supposed to be designing toxics out of our production systems!
“The product designer’s idea is that the bottle will let off a light blue light which will draw us to the shelves to buy it. News articles about the bottles say they “will glow on the shelves, inviting customers to pick them up. Every 15 seconds, a light-emitting diode in the bottom of the container flares on, stays lighted for a few seconds, then fades out.” What are we, moths?
“I found pictures and more details on the product’s website, (whatsnxt.net) which explains that “…our products contain a mini-computer with LED lighting in the base. One bottle alone is cool but the whole line together is an experience.”
An experience?? No it’s not. It is a bunch of bottles, and stupidly designed ones at that.”
Need I add anything else? What’s so fascinating is the glib copy on the promo site where they cite the fact that (one of) the plastics they use is biodegradable, and part of the ingredients are ‘natural’…huh?
What do you think? Comments are open….
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