Not Yeti Friday - An SUV that just came out

One of my heroes Loren Coleman has put up a post on his excellent Cryptomundo blog about the new Škoda Yeti, an automobile of the "Mini SUV" variety. It is not a yeti, nor is it a Friday, but the marketing of the vehicle is definitely attempting to bring the people's love of His Himalayan Highness to the forefront... and inspire people to buy their product using yeti as a hook.

They are really pushing the yeti association. Here's part of the press release:

"People have never tired of talking about that mythical creature who, with his white fur coat and sharp teeth, lives high up in icy mountains. Although they have never met him, people still speak with great conviction of their encounter with that peaceful inhabitant of the dizzying heights, who is said to have shown many a lost soul the route from the regions of eternal ice to the safety of the valley below. At Škoda Auto we are celebrating a new member of our model range, which has been given the name of that helpful snowman: The Škoda Yeti is launched. The choice of name truly has a deeper significance. The Škoda Yeti is strong, geared to move under difficult conditions and help its passengers along where others give up. But it has the edge on the original Yeti: Unlike him, it is also happy in warmer areas, finding its way not just in difficult terrain and off road, but with equal confidence and assurance on the road."

They also hire a bunch of people to dress in white-furred yeti disguises at events.


(Waifish model aside, the costume and stuffed animal are actually pretty decent yeti depictions and worthy of their own legitimate not Not-Yeti post.)

Look at the car company's promotional web site which contains this blurb:

"Perhaps everyone would like to see Yeti. This snowman has something mystical in him, which directly calls for discovery… just like the new design study of the Škoda Yeti."

They are really laying it on thick, attempting to associate their consumers' raging yeti love (and the rising popularity of cryptozoological curiosity) with their product. Kinda weird, if you want my opinion.

I personally just want to stick to yeti that are actually yeti.

Not cars.

This is definitely a sign that the yeti is approaching the apex in popularity and awareness in the popular culture. Not too long ago, the average person didn't know what yeti was. Now the advertisers are actually naming cars after them SO THAT YOU WILL BUY THEM.