And All the Earth a Grave

A simple malfunction in the accounting system of a Midwestern coffin maker produces a budget that’s a hundred times larger than anyone expected. When the advertising director discovers the numbers, he abandons his office in a panic, grabs a suitcase, and heads east, convinced the error is a golden opportunity.

What follows is a nation‑wide frenzy of coffin advertising that turns the holiday season into a bizarre shopping spectacle. Bright billboards feature smiling young women unwrapping caskets, while TV spots promise “the gift that will last more than a lifetime.” Stores, supermarkets, even beauty salons scramble to stock the macabre merchandise, and lawmakers scramble to keep up with the sudden demand. The story satirically explores how a single corporate slip can ripple through culture, turning death into a consumer craze and testing the limits of both marketing ambition and public tolerance.