Monday, April 9, 2012

Unclear on the Marketing Concept

Look, I am sympathetic to those in the restaurant business.  It is tough sledding during good times, and when the economy is having difficulties it gets even harder.  So I understand how some beleaguered business owners cast about a bit for a winning concept.

But a place in a nearby community has taken this a little too far.  It seems to be something different every time I drive past!

This is the view from across the highway.  All sorts of odd visuals to be seen.  Let's get closer...

A few years ago it was a Mexican place.  I ate there a few times, the food was OK.  The yellow adobe facade and the odd South Western style cornice with red tile recalls this era.  Near as I can tell there was a pool hall incarnation in recent years, accounting for the Eight Ball.  Note the three segments of signage.  First a white and red vinyl sign of recent vintage.  It says REDZONE BAR.  Then a bare patch where a bit of sign has been pulled away leaving a clean spot and some dirt and rust from old anchoring points.  Finally a surviving bit of an earlier sign that blandly says RESTAURANT.

Parked out front is what I assume to be a Courtesy Van.  The theory being that tipplers can drink to happy excess then be hauled home by the establishment.  Hopefully in the morning they will remember where they have been and retrieve their cars.  The motto of the Red Zone seems to be:  "Home of the Smokin' Hot Bartenders & Big Girl Hotdogs".   This seems a little naughty, as if the term Red Zone is being used not in its more common sports context (the portion of a football field within the 20 yard line), and more in a sort of "Red Light District" sense.  Supporting this notion....

Here we again have a suggestion of saucy activity, in the form of the languid babes on either side of the speedometer.  But does this logo suggest the Red Zone is driving over 90 miles an hour?  Kind of the opposite of a nice courtesy ride home.  And are we a pickup bar and a sports bar and a rock music venue?

But the weirdest bit of decor outside the Red Zone is this:

You did notice the giant mouse on the left side of the first picture, did you not?  This actually seems to be "Ivan the Cheese Mouse", who moved to this spot when another business down the road went under.  I don't know why he has acquired what looks to be an intentional defacement with "urban" looking graffiti, but his new name looks to be Big Dee K6.  Or possibly Big De EKG? 
I think after a night in my cups this is just about the last thing I would want to stumble across in the parking lot.  "Please don't choke me, Big Dee K6!"

Oh, so you can still imagine a coherent pattern to their marketing?  I can remedy that....
Look upon and marvel.

2 comments:

next door Laura said...

I can help with a small part of your wondering. The Big Deeks are a local rock band. From their website there are no upcoming gigs at the Redzone. Perhaps they have had a falling out with the identity challenged management and forgot to take their mouse with them when they left. I know what you will wonder next so,....the urban dictionary has several definitions of deek. One is sports related and another seems to fit the big girl hotdog category.

Tacitus said...

Thanks!
And this bit of the puzzle fits well with the ongoing story of the Big Mouse on Wednesday....
T