Advertising
Advertising
Mathematically Annoying Advertising:
A ∪ B = {x:x ≤ 15 or x > 15} = ℝ [line graph representing the above equation.] When discussing real numbers, it is impossible to get more vague than "up to 15% or more".
[" FREE! *" in large text, with substantial illegible fine print.] If someone has paid $x to have the word "free" typeset for you and N other people to read, their expected value for the money that will move from you to them is at least $(x / (N+1))
[Graph representing inverse relationship between "amount you spend" on the y axis and "amount you save" on the x axis.] It would be difficult for the phrase "the more you spend the more you save" to be more wrong.
Randall changed the image name from advertising.png to mathematically_annoying.png, since adblocking extensions interpreted it as an ad and made the comic blank. He had the same problem again just three months later with 906: Advertising Discovery .

This comic pokes fun at millions of advertising tricks, analyzing them mathematically.
The equation at the top of the panel expresses the same thing using set theory notation.  It reads out as: The union of sets A and B equals the set of all x, such that x is less than or equal to 15, or greater than 15, which equals the set of all real numbers .
The same is expressed again with a number line ; the numbers being interpreted as percentages .  The first range, ending with a black dot, indicates that everything below, as well as the number 15, is included ("up to 15%").  The second range beginning with a white dot indicates that it only includes numbers strictly bigger than 15 ("more than 15%").  The two ranges combined clearly cover the entire number line.
The phrase "up to 15% or more" may be a reference to the Geico slogan at the time: a phone call lasting "15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance." However the reference is unclear, as the words " up to 15%" are not actually used by Geico. Though Geico's advertising is also referenced in 42: Geico .
We are even given a little formula to calculate the average amount of money they expect to make from the readers. The assumption is that they expect to generate at least as much income from the ad as what they paid to print and publish it in the first place.
The title text compares Randall's realization of the "FREE"-fraud to the revelation that Santa Claus is not real.
Mathematically Annoying Advertising:
A ∪ B = {x:x ≤ 15 or x > 15} = ℝ [line graph representing the above equation.] When discussing real numbers, it is impossible to get more vague than "up to 15% or more".
[" FREE! *" in large text, with substantial illegible fine print.] If someone has paid $x to have the word "free" typeset for you and N other people to read, their expected value for the money that will move from you to them is at least $(x / (N+1))
[Graph representing inverse relationship between "amount you spend" on the y axis and "amount you save" on the x axis.] It would be difficult for the phrase "the more you spend the more you save" to be more wrong.
Randall changed the image name from advertising.png to mathematically_annoying.png, since adblocking extensions interpreted it as an ad and made the comic blank. He had the same problem again just three months later with 906: Advertising Discovery .
