Actually, I do read the fluff. Not HR though, just the technical approver whether the candidate's skillset looks up to the task.

Had one candidate whose letter claimed their experience in one field would be valuable for their work with us. Indeed, they did have plenty of experience in it. If that was the field I was working in, I'd have considered them a great fit.

Unfortunately, we're a different field. Not that it would disqualify them - I'm the last person to hold a lazy copy-paste-fill template against anyone. I hate those things too. I just found that slip-up amusing.

(And I also wouldn't hold a will to switch tracks against them either. I didn't even know anything about my field four years ago, but now I love it.)