In the South, where it starts to feel like summer in April and the heat doesn't abate until November, flyswatters are indispensable. They don't, however, get much branding love from their makers. They're only flyswatters, after all. But in a post at the Viral Garden blog, Mack Collier lauds the inventive approach of the Sergeant Swatter. "This is a freakin' 92 cent flyswatter people," he says, "and yet Willert Home Products has found a way to brand this item and create some hilarious packaging for it."

Under the heading "A military spec swatter for the toughest pests!" are bullet points that range from the fanciful to the practical, including:

• Recoilless design allows for swat-attacks on even the largest of flying prey.
• Will not bend nor break, even in the most severe of conditions.

The next heading, "888 Civilian Uses—Here are 8," comes with a similar mix of fun and fact, such as: Keep it in the truck for the winter and use it as a windshield scraper.

And there are a few points that merit the heading "Caution":

• While Sergeant Swat is effective on most campsite pests, it has been shown to only aggravate bears.
• Keep away from unruly kids (unless you like getting thwacked).

Your Marketing Inspiration: "If Willert can create interesting branding and marketing for a product as boring as a flyswatter, then your company has no excuse," says Collier.

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