About Jason Fried
Jason co-founded Basecamp back in 1999. He also co-authored REWORK, the New York Times bestselling book on running a "right-sized" business. Co-founded, co-authored... Can he do anything on his own?
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Joe Sak
on 23 Apr 08Great.
Scott Orchard
on 23 Apr 08Wow! I can’t believe that this didn’t sound wrong to someone during product development.
Jeremiah Staes
on 23 Apr 08I almost spit my drink out when I first saw this commercial a few weeks ago. As a marketing person, I have to debate if it’s an honest mistake – or an intentional one.
I definitely remember it!
Now, if “gas” was a side effect, that would be even funnier.
Colin Bartlett
on 23 Apr 08I was on this medicine for a while several years ago. I nearly had ass effects in my pants when the Dr. told me what he was prescribing.
Dominic
on 23 Apr 08Don’t even consider taking this stuff.
There are so many great natural products that work great.
Dom
John Topley
on 23 Apr 08LMAO! I love you Americans.
paul
on 23 Apr 08i’m glad i’m not the only one who heard that when i watched the commercial…
Granata
on 23 Apr 08About time someone posted about this. That’s pretty bad.
Chad Garrett
on 23 Apr 08I actually found the email address of their PR person and emailed them (snickering all the way). I got an auto-reply. Their PR person is on vacation! Coincidence?
Dave
on 23 Apr 08This is beyond weird – my business partner and I were discussing product naming just two days ago and I mentioned some multimedia training materials I worked on back in 1997 for Ortho. The drug was Aciphex and we railed on them about the name – they didn’t get it… I never new it got to market.
phreaadi
on 23 Apr 08This ranks right up there with pretty much any faux-drug commercial SNL’s ever created. Ass Effects should come with a coupon for Oops I Crapped My Pants™ adult undergarments.
Manuel, Æstheticrew
on 23 Apr 08Ever thought about that they might’ve choosen the “name” on purpose? It’s indeed weird, but it is catchy, you got to give them that.
Aden
on 23 Apr 08I’ve been on this medicine for a couple of years (since 2003, I’d guess?) and been making the same joke ever since.
Though Aciphex does prevent the ass effects, thank God. Like Manuel I always wondered if it was meant to have that subconscious, albeit juvenile, association.
carlivar
on 23 Apr 08@Dominic: It’s great to know that great products work great.
Lee
on 23 Apr 08My insurance decided I should be on this and not whatever-other-prescription-pill, and for the last 2 years, I’ve had to go into the pharmacy and ask to pick up my AssEffects.
Stupid HMOs.
Jack
on 23 Apr 08Rectalieve.
Zach
on 24 Apr 08This is going to be a shitty comment, but I don’t have anything to say other than I love this post.
Justin
on 24 Apr 08I saw this last night on TV and could not stop laughing. This is why every product dev team needs at least one 20-something on their team to sniff out the potential dick jokes/toilet humor.
Daniel
on 24 Apr 08I’m not sure about this, but I once heard that there was an anti-diarrhea medicine available here in Denmark, which was called “Mukol”—and that just happens to be the Danish word for “crapper” (“lokum”) written in reverse.
Again, not sure about it, but I wouldn’t be surprised. It’d even work well in English too: Repparc. That sounds vaguely pharmaceutical too.
Jaymie
on 24 Apr 08Ah, it’s no longer available now, so I can’t see it. Shame. :o(
Justin
on 24 Apr 08I’ve seen more free publicity about this stuff than any other pharma product I’ve come across. I don’t think it was an accident.
Kevin
on 24 Apr 08Emailing this to my wife right now – she always rolls her eyes at me when I make this joke, so now I know I’m not the only one who hears “ass effects”!
Brenton
on 24 Apr 08Reminds me of a local realtor called Coldwell Banker – Itildo. On the radio, it sounds like their tagline—“Coldwell Banker: It’ll do.”
JD
on 24 Apr 08This is undoubtedly trademark infringement.
Kristian
on 29 Apr 08The same marketing people who did this logo?
Alan
on 30 Apr 08Ive seen this comercial a few times and this is EXACTLY what I thought of every time that I heard it. I’m so glad to find that I’m not the only one who thought of this.
This discussion is closed.