I recently happened upon this two-page ad copy in a magazine…
Page one:
We’re anti-shoe.
We’re anti-boot. We’re anti-sandal.
And we’re definitely anti-flip flop.
In fact, we’re anti anything that doesn’t
defend your back against the corrosive power
of hard, flat surfaces. We’re anti anything that
doesn’t improve your posture. We’re anti anything
that doesn’t protect your knees or tone your muscles just
by standing there. Actually, we’re anti anything that doesn’t
change your life for the better. But something you can wear
on your feet that can do all that? Now that we can get behind.
Page two:
www.theantishoe.com
MBT®
The Anti-shoe.
So I checked out the web-site.
The Anti-shoe of Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) obviously appeals to the Original Authenticity principle of Anti-up. But if you spend some time on the Anti-shoe website, you’ll note that the MBT offering makes an appeal to all five genres of authenticity via a specific principle that we outline in the book:
Natural Authenticity principle – Be bare: What should be stripped down, left naked, or left bare?
MBT: “walking barefoot on the ground”
Original Authenticity principle — Anti-up: What move could you make against conventional norms?
MBT: “new sole construction”
Exceptional Authenticity principle — Be foreign: What foreignness could be emphasized with uninitiated customers?
MBT: “African Masai tribes”
Referential Authenticity principle – Pick a place: What particular place could inspire your offerings?
MBT: “paddy fields in Korea”
Influential Authenticity principle — Promote a cause: What greater social cause can you passionately promote, helping to effect its ends?
MBT: “healthier, more active, and happier life…[through]…physiologically correct walking”
I particularly like that the Anti-shoe promotes a cause via the offering itself — and not just by donating a percentage of revenue or profits to some foot health charity. The latter will usually ring hollow and fake without real cause-infused value embedded in the former.
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