Raging Against a Wall-Mounted Soap Dispenser

Over the last thirty years, I have spent a lot of time in public bathrooms.  In order to empty my bladder, I have to catheterize myself.  The process is fairly lengthy and requires that I wash my hands multiple times.  This means that I sit in front of sinks more than the average bear.  It also means that my mind wonders to occupy itself.  Just as people read the cereal box as they eat, I study anything that might be in front of me.  Quite frankly, I have thought more about wall-mounted soap dispensers than I care to admit: Who makes these things?  Does a real person assemble them?  Did somebody invent this particular design and corner the market.  Is this person out there telling their grandkids that they made millions in the business of wall-mounted soap dispensers?

I was in a public bathroom the other day, one that I have used once a week for about twelve years.  Recently, they changed their soap dispenser from one that was part of the sink to one that is mounted on the wall.  This has meant a change from liquid soap to the surprising foam that seems to have become the latest fashion.  This particular dispenser looks cheap, a black plastic square that seems like it stays on the wall with double-sided adhesive tape. 

The other day, for the first time, I really took in the brand name on the dispenser - Symmetry.  I had looked at the word many times before but I had never consciously thought about the way I was being marketed.  What on earth does symmetry have to do with foam soap?  What is it they are trying to get me to feel - symmetry connotes balance, calm, equal from side to side, perhaps a resulting sense of relief, of ease.  Again these are not things I typically associate with wall-mounted dispensers or with foam soap for that matter.  But then maybe the intent is to make me feel that I am being taken care of of, like soap from a Symmetry dispenser will protect me from those big, bad germs that exist in a public bathroom.  At this point, I was beginning to feel manipulated.

Then the kicker.  I noticed the fancy design of the "S" in Symmetry.  Imagine a circle and cut it vertically in half.  Then drop the right semicircle down so the top, rounded line touches the very bottom rounded line of the left  semicircle.  The resulting image is that of an "S."  Imagine further that the top semi-cirlce is left just as a line, creating a shape that is defined only by the line and the negative space (in this case a black color).  Now imagine the bottom semi-cirlce as a shape filled-in with a whitish-gray color.  If you cannot imagine what I just described, know that it is a shameless allusion to the Yin/Yang symbol.  Apparently this dispenser and foam soap also balances the energies of male and female - quite a product I have to say.

This marketing ploy is ultimately intended to make money, to get me to unconsciously use this product with good feelings.  I have to say when I connected these dots, I felt both violated and a little disgusted. Up until that point, the subliminal messaging had probably worked on me.  I liked thinking or imagining about symmetry as I washed my hands.  Once I became conscious of the  design intent, however, I wanted to rage, "Who are these people...what right do they have to touch my desire for calm and balance to sell their product?"

It scares me to think what marketers have figured out.  They literally hope to profit from my unconscious association between their product and my deep-seated desire to create balance in my life.  They have the audacity to try this even if their product has nothing to do with balance  They press into my vulnerability because, if they are successful, they hope to get my money. This is not just a fact about them, but also an unsettling fact about me. Watch around at pop culture marketing.  All over you will see an attempt to associate products with what they perceive as a new wave of secular spirituality.  They think they can manipulate that longing in us and use it to access our money.  Don't let them.