Mixed Reaction to New eBay Slogan

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Reaction is mixed to the big new eBay (EBAY Quote) advertising campaign: "Come to think of it -- eBay." Of course, reaction to anything is mixed these days. Anybody who does anything worth noting is stuck like a shish kebab by somebody who's got a bone to pick with something or another.

Personally, I think it's kinda good that eBay is going to gear up a huge ad campaign at all. It's the first in 18 months for them, and signals further improvements for the environment.

On the other hand, you want brick-and-mortar stores to do well this holiday season. The more successful eBay is at marketing itself as a place you buy new stuff, the less shopping there may be at the Nordstroms (JWN Quote), Wal-Marts (WMT Quote) and dollar discount stores this Xmas. So there's that.

Then there's the slogan itself. "Come to think of it -- eBay." Personally, I find myself wondering about it a little bit. Sure, it's positive. It says, "Hey, I was trying to think of a place to go shopping. I should have thought of eBay first because you can pretty much find anything you want there."

It's not altogether dissimilar to the famous, "Wow! I shoulda had a V-8!" campaign that sold millions of confused drinkers on the weird, salty, vegetable beverage that has always been slightly less than top-of-mind for thirsty consumers. As a slogan, it's catchy. It makes you think a bit. Maybe too much?

Ah, there's the rub. Does it make you think TOO much? As in, "I guess I haven't thought about eBay because it's pretty much the last place I'd go for holiday shopping," or "Yeah, I'll go on eBay right after I've tried everything else"? The truth is, I don't know.