Chase What Matters

For the past two years (or somewhere in that neighborhood), Chase has employed the tag line "Chase What Matters" which always reminded me a little of the old American Express "Do More" campaign in that it felt aspirational. While it's a clever use of Chase as a verb, it's otherwise not quite as compelling to me. (Mind you, as an ex-Amex girl, I may be biased.) If I understand correctly, if I bank with Chase, I will have the right resources behind me to follow my dreams. Sounds good, right?

With that said, there is a Chase commercial on the air lately that drives me absolutely batty. I want to smack the smug ass ad agency executive who developed it. It features a guy who is trying to talk his wife/girlfriend into using their Chase points for a vacation for two. He's dreaming of walking along the French Quarter while a jazz band serenades them in the background, boating along a palm tree-laden coastline and dining in an elegant restaurant overlooking a panoramic cityscape. But nope: he cannot chase his dreams because his wife already blew through all the points on one, I repeat, one dress. (And I wonder: where the heck is she planning to wear that thing? Not to the Cub Scout camp out . . . )



In this case, the husband should chase what matters: divorce. Imagine the points he can accrue by charging all his attorney's fees to his Sapphire card. Imagine the trips he could take then!

I think Budweiser should follow up with this same man and film the empty 12 packs that begin littering his coffee table when he finally allows himself to get that stupid, I've-been-duped grin off his face and actually digest the fact that his wife would make such a selfish purchase without consulting him.

Enjoy the in-house "staycation" with your beautifully dressed wife, sir. And don't forget to thank Chase!

It's All About Me

When I was younger, I told my mom that I hoped I died before her because I couldn't bear to live without her. Her response? "That is so selfish! How do you think I would feel?"

Oddly enough, I hadn't really thought about it that way.

A while back ago, I told my girlfriend DeeDee that I wanted my ashes to be scattered at Cape Hatteras because it's my favorite beach in the U.S. (so far). She responded by saying, "That is so selfish! You're going to make your husband drive 11 hours with your dead body in the car?"

Once again, not my problem.

Similarly, my mom told us that she wanted each of her children to take some of her ashes, go on a trip (not with each other necessarily) and scatter her around the world -- we could choose anywhere as long as we were having fun. My sister says she's going to throw mom in front of Eastview Mall so she can visit her every weekend.

Works for me!

Yeah, I know, I seem to be on this weird death kick lately in here but thought these few stories had a common thread: per usual, it really is all about me.