Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 11, 1993 TAG: 9301110009
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ray Reed
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SHINY CAR, WET ROAD, BIG SPLASH
Q: Why do car commercials show the car on a wet road or sitting in a wet parking lot? S.R., GalaxA: A shiny car looks so good that it shimmers on a slick road, and professional photographers know how to capture those great lighting effects.
"You get beautiful reflections in the paint, and everything looks better," said Mike Hughes, who makes Mercedes commercials. He's chairman and creative director of the Martin Agency in Richmond.
Car ads were shot in the rain back in the '60s before Volkswagen became the industry leader with hit commercials on a white background, Hughes said. Then BMW and others went back out in the rain, and it's almost a cliche now.
Hughes said he wouldn't be surprised if a new trend emerges.
Rain also affects mood and atmosphere, and video can use these to appeal to desires for a personal image or freedom.
A shiny new car also can overcome any rainy day.
You're warm and secure inside, and a great-handling car helps you avoid danger on the road. Many commercials play on these feelings.
Thanks to George Franke, an associate professor of marketing at Virginia Tech, for some information.
Birth certificate backlog
Q: How do you go about getting a birth certificate? I mailed an application to the state Health Department in Richmond in October. They wrote back asking me to send more proof of birth, which I did. Since then, I haven't heard anything, and other people are having trouble like this, too. I needed the birth certificate for a cruise we'd planned. D.L.K.S., Roanoke
A: There's an eight-month backlog in the office where your application probably is residing, said a spokeswoman in the Division of Vital Records.
The division's request for additional proof of your birth indicates some information was missing, and that would send your application to a Special Registration office. The work there requires specialists because it could involve changing or correcting a birth record.
Staff members in that office are working overtime and still not cutting into the backlog, the spokeswoman said. Adoptions, declarations of attorneys and misspelled names are some of the matters this office handles.
Birth certificates for travel can be expedited and mailed within 14 days unless one of these problems occurs, the spokeswoman said.
Your approach to the application was correct, apparently, because you filled out a form obtained from the local health department and mailed it correctly.
Wholesale's a name
Q: Why is Sam's Wholesale Club called wholesale when some of the things there can be bought just as cheap somewhere else? N.N., Independence
A: Manufacturer's prices vary according to how much the store buys, where the product's delivered, and many other factors.
Wholesale price, if that's a legitimate term anymore, can be different for each retailer.
On specific items - usually small ones or things sold in small quantities - other stores have been known to meet Sam's Wholesale in the price competition, just as you have observed.
Got a question about something that might affect other people too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.