STRANGE BEDFELLOWS. Sponsors from Bosch to Scotiabank.

Have you noticed those little logos in the corners of print advertisements? They are from the co-sponsors of whatever the ads are trying to push on you.  I understand completely. It’s all about sharing the costs. But looking at the Toronto Star (2 Oct), I find the combination of sponsors puzzling.

Take the Princess Margaret Hospital Lottery, which promises “one big prize after another.” Why is it sponsored by the Toronto Maple Leafs? Is the Stanley Cup one of the prizes? Are they looking for an inside track?

The CBC’s Dragons’ Den ad is co-sponsored by Ford Motors and Scotiabank.  Is Ford looking for entrepreneurial talent to prevent another bailout? And is Scotiabank trying to get on CBC’s good side to keep them from reporting on their debit card glitches?

The ad for Bosch Dishwashers comes with a little thingy for Delta Vacations. Do we need a vacation from “German Engineering” or just the “crusty pans” the Bosch machine takes care of?

Then there are the cryptic cooperators. An ad for Transatlantic and European Cruises sports the logos NCL and YMT. Can you give me a hint, guys? NCL, as in Nitrogen Trichloride?  YMT as in the place where you can get “frivolous massages” (ymt.me)? Or is this a rude text message decoded by urbandictionary.com as “Your Mamma’s Titties”?

A Hudson Bay ad also keeps me guessing. It’s an ad for shoes featuring a picture of designer Sam Edelman. Apparently he’ll autograph the “purchases made on the day of the event.” You mean he’ll write on my stuff? Is this ad co-sponsored by the Association of Vandals and Graffiti Artists?

I think I prefer the ad for Nav Bhatia’s Hyundai dealership, which declares: “Everyone is approved”. This must be co-sponsored by the National Association for Boosting Self-esteem, although I don’t see their logo anywhere.