It’s All in the Punctuation

“I can’t be satisfied until you’re satisfied.”

–Phil Dunphy motto

Fans of sitcom “Modern Family” (I am) no doubt enjoyed last night’s episode, in which Phil Dunphy’s “car wrap” features photos of his family along with his real estate marketing slogan, “I can’t be satisfied until you’re satisfied.”

If you’re not familiar with car wraps, they’re basically billboard ads “wrapped” around the exterior of a car.

Voila!  Mobile billboard.

Unintended Consequences

Unfortunately, the first part of Phil’s slogan (“I can’t be satisfied”) appears on one side of the car below a fetching picture of his wife, Claire, while the tag line (“until you’re satisfied”) appears on the back of the car.

Aggravating matters:  the ad on the opposite side of the car reads, “I make your dreams come true” alongside a photo of Phil’s attractive daughter, Haley.

Oblivious to matters, Claire and Haley can’t figure out why they’re being honked and hooted at while driving around town — while Phil is (initially) delighted to discover his cell phone ringing off the hook (do cell phones have hooks?).

P.S.:  Fans of this comedic genre will recall the infamous 7 Up t-shirt sporting the slogan:  ‘Make 7 Up Yours.’ 

Of course, the front of the t-shirt reads “Make 7” while the back reads “Up Yours.”

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.

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