Epistemic status: amused. Labels read, court records checked.

AI use: research (more examples and context), grammar and light phrasing.

We've already looked at marketing claims that are unnecessary because they are the default, in Gluten-free water. However, the landscape of weird marketing tricks in the US is far from exhausted, and today we will look at marketing mimicry:

Source: Walmart

Is this butter or not? Let's get closer and have a better look:

The same tub, up close.

Oh, it is not butter, it is "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!". I remember seeing this product in a store myself and finding it extremely amusing and clever. At first I thought it was some variation of margarine. However, you won't believe it's not MARGARINE either! In the US margarine must be at least 80% fat, and this is a "buttery spread, 45% oils" whose first ingredient is water.

Anyway, the claim is that whatever this is, you cannot distinguish it from butter. I find it funny that the logo may suggest to an inattentive customer that this is butter, while at the same time managing to say that it is not butter and that it is indistinguishable from butter. [...]