We’ve said it before…

…and we’ll probably say it again: The Kids, They Will Mess With Your Brand.

May we present to you the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer.

 Yes, it’s funny, because bananas are inherently funny. But what’s really funny are the 2,000-and-counting user comments they’ve got on Amazon, not to mention the Q&A section.

User “lloydraven” quips:

“No more throwing bananas at the ceiling fan for me! This product has saved me the work of peeling the banana slices off the wall after the fan slices them. Thanks, banana slicer!”

While “Pristine” says:

“This is the only one used on official world tournaments and don’t settle for less. Some will try to sell you a 569, 570 or 571A but they are cheap versions of the real deal which is the 571B. At home I still have an old 134 series A (the cast iron one with the screw to set the width) which I use for special occasions, but when I travel the 571B is in my carry-on. The 200 and 300’s are really more for people with a tomato background.”

It goes on. And on. And ON.

How do Random-Ass Brand Conversations like this get started? Well, it helps if your product is inherently hilarious. Still, we’re not sure what lit users’ fire right at this particular moment.  It just happened. Which is a thing that happens these days. And it’s one you, dear Brand-Managing Person, should be ready for. As in – right now, we hope the very sweet-sounding folks at Hutzler (A family-owned-in-the-USA-company since 1938) have two things:

1) A sense of humor, a’la the Three Wolf Moon Guy,

2) A big-ass sack to hold all the cash they’re about to make.

Our point at long last? In today’s marketplace your brand is not always under your control. How you handle that fact of life matters. We wish the Hutzlers luck, sincerely. Have fun with the Internet Famousness, and have fun counting all that sweet ironic money. We hear it spends just fine.

OK, we’re outta here. It’s peanut butter jelly time.