Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Crunch doesn't seem to get that there are still little kids on earth.


San Ramon Patch-  If you've parked in Danville recently, you might have returned to your car and found a pretty bold flier on your windshield.
The advertisement for the Blackhawk fitness center Crunch Fitness, (shown above) reads, "GO FROM...UUUGHHH...Going to the Gym...TO...Goin' to the Gym MOTHERFU©&@Z!" A Danville man told Patch he was "displeased" when he returned to his car after dinner with his family last week to see the advertisement on his car. Crunch Fitness has since stopped handing out the fliers. Shabnam Amiri, a Crunch Fitness membership adviser, said, "I think we were trying to be hip, but we threw (the advertisements) all out."
Updated at 1:20 p.m.
Here is the response to the story from Christina DeGuardi, Senior Vice President of marketing, branding and communications at Crunch:
This particular ad is one of several ads that are running in select cities across the country. It was meant to over-exaggerate the excitement and enthusiasm many of our members express when they participate in the Crunch experience. It was inspired by actual tweets from Crunch members. That being said, we are sensitive to the feelings of the communities in which we do business and do apologize to anyone who may have taken offense.

            I'd be mad too. Nothing like walking out of Outback Steakhouse with your wife and two kids and having to rip this paper off the windshield so the youngsters aren't exposed to this outlandish language. If this happened to me, there would be no shot I even consider working out at "crunch." On the other hand, If I'm out at the bar watching the game with a few of my buddies and come out at about 2 am and find this flyer on my windshield I probably wouldn't be too mad about it. Like you know "I've been drinking a lot lately maybe I should hit up the gym." I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand times....there's a time and a place for everything; but I just don't think "Crunch" gets that. A key model for a good business is knowing how to advertise, where to advertise, and who to advertise to. Also I don't know why Christina is trying to pawn this off on the members. Like "yeah out members tweeted this" it was them not us. Step up and take responsibility here. I just think that this cliché ad could have been done in a nicer, more family-friendly way. This "bold" flyer probably ticked a lot of people off but most of them just didn't speak out.

#locals


Monday, April 1, 2013

Comcast doesn't like guns....at all.


Huff Post- Comcast recently banned commercials featuring some kinds of guns, but does it really have a problem with archery, too? Just ask Bob's Little Sport Shop in Glassboro, N.J., which was told by Comcast that a commercial it had aired for years on numerous channels was no longer allowed on television because it depicts guns and bows and arrows being fired."They didn't want either one shown on TV and asked if we could redo our ads to not show any guns or to show the archery being shot," said Wendy Copenhaver, Bob's Little Sport Shop's office manager, in a phone interview with The Huffington Post on Monday.Comcast had even recommended the production company that filmed the commercial a few years ago, Copenhaver also told HuffPost. The ad was then shown on 10 to 12 networks throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including ESPN, Animal Planet and Lifetime, she said.Comcast's new policy bans commercials for many types of non-hunting guns, like handguns and semi-automatic firearms, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Bob's Little Sports Shop commercial featured people shooting handguns.

I just don't know about Bob's Little Sport Shop. In today's day and age with all the recent terrorist attacks on American soil, I don't think they should be able to show people firing guns or bow and arrows or whatever on tv. Yeah their ad's have been playing on TV for years, but times have changed. 15 years ago there was hardly any security at airports. Then, 9/11 happened and they made a move for the better. This is the same thing. Newtown, CT happened and America is finally starting to realize how easy it is for crazy people to go out and get a gun. This is a good move by Comcast. They shouldn't show advertisements for firearms on television, and with this policy, it looks like they won't anymore. Just looks like it would be so easy for an insecure teenager to go out and buy a pistol and then do something terrible. Like look at the kid in the red shirt, can't be a day over 14 right? Just walks in and checks out the selection. I definitely understand if the kid goes with Pops to the shooting range on their man day, have a little fun missing some targets then hit up Mickey D's on the way home. Thats fine, but I think Comcast knows what they're doing here. That being said, I don't like Bob's Little Sport Shop. If Im driving on the Jersey Turnpike and see a sign for this place, I'd probably try and get off and try to find a wiffle ball and bat or something. They should definitely consider changing it to "Bob's guns."

Monday, February 25, 2013

Apparently Iran Thinks Argo is a Promotion for America's CIA



Washington Post - "Iran’s state-run media dismissed the award-winning “Argo” as little more than propaganda, calling it an “advertisement for the CIA” and characterizing it as offensive to Muslims. Iranian Culture Minister Mohammad Hosseini, meanwhile, said Hollywood was guilty of “distort[ing] history” with the film, according to a report in The Times of Israel. The film portrays Iran’s 1979 taking of 52 American hostages, a handful of whom launched a daring escape with the aid of the Canadian ambassador. The escape — which came by way of disguising some of the Americans as a film crew — was the main subject of the movie. Tehran City Council member Masoomeh Ebtekar, who occupied the U.S. Embassy during the 1979 event, called the film’s portrayal of mob violence an exaggeration, The Times of Israel says. The film is not being shown in Iran, but many have accessed bootleg versions of it online and via DVD networks, The Times of Israel says."

       Okay, if this makes any sense at all it doesn't make much sense. Like I don't really even understand what Iran is trying to say here. It's a movie. So they think America just made this flick to advertise our CIA? What does that even mean? Pretty sure if we wanted to do that we would just make a bunch of commercials or something. But like we don't. The CIA isn't asking for more bodies or more recognition- its about as low key as it gets. And then they have the nerve to say Argo is offensive to Muslims...you ever think Americans were offended back in '79 when Iran held 52 Americans hostage, as documented in the movie? THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Personally, I think Iran's state-run media is barking up the wrong tree here. Must just be jealous of all the Oscars it won last night. Hey, Mohammad Hosseini, you let us worry about Hollywood, and we'll let you worry about your nuclear crisis.

#locals