Consumerist points to a maddening customer service story. Matthew Ghali created GoldenGateVW.com, to share his poor customer experience with Golden Gate Volkswagen, and its owner, Mathew Zaheri. In May 2003, my fiancee (now my wife) and I took her Jetta to Golden Gate Volkswagen for a few simple repairs. This experience at Golden Gate Volkswagen turned out to be unpleasant. While the car was at Golden Gate Volkswagen …
A Reductive And Immeasurably Harmful Code Of Public Discourse
Do you know about the First Things First manifesto? I did not, until today. According to Wikipedia, this is what it's about: The First Things First manifesto was written 29 November 1963 and published in 1964 by Ken Garland. Today we may not understand the significance of the document which at the time caused consternation. It was backed by over 400 graphic designers and artists and also received the backing of Tony …
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Forget Marketing. Focus On Manufacturing Something Of Value.
Hugh's buddy, The Head Lemur, really let one fly today. Marketeers always deny that what they do is harmful. They create the most convoluted and 'plausable' justifications for what they do. They will tell you that marketing is good for you. They will tell you that you can't live without them and you are somehow incomplete without them. They are wrong. Not because of the creativity, but because of the format of the …
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Beware Of 29E
I-Am-Bored posted this hand-written consumer complaint against Continental Airlines last year. I was unawre of it until today, when Consumerist picked it up. It begins, "Dear Continental Airlines, I am disgusted as I write this note to your about the miserable experience I am having in seat 29E on one of your aircrafts. As you may know, this seat is situated directly across from the lavatory, so close that I can …
Bud Light Scores High Marks With High Schoolers
According to The New York Times, Americans under the age of 17 dug the Super Bowl spots from Bud Light. In fact, Bud Light ads ranked first, second and fourth in popularity for the under 17 demographic. Bud Light's brand team should feel good that they're connecting with this crucial segment of emerging beer drinkers. There's only one problem--beer ads are not supposed to appeal to underage drinkers. Amon Rappaport, …
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Advertising As Visual Trash: A Northern Rockies Case Study
Bozeman Daily Chronicle: The Bozeman City Commission overturned an ordinance allowing private advertising on city-owned vehicles Monday night. In a 3-2 vote commissioners Kaaren Jacobson, Steve Kirchhoff and Jeff Rupp voted to overturn a previous ordinance allowing businesses to advertise on city-owned vehicles -- specifically the city's fleet of garbage trucks. City Manager, Chris Kukulski, said advertising could …
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AOL Added To List Of Heathens
Adfreak's Tim Nudd points to AOL's new instant messaging campaign, which makes use of the phrase, I AM. Clever, right? Maybe. But it's none too appealing to the devout, who listen to the thunder shout, "I AM!" World Net Daily: AOL customer, Ian Millar wonders if any of AOL's marketing and planning directors ever went to Christian Sunday school or attended Jewish services. He points out to AOL executives that "I AM" …
They Do Respect Her Butt
High Jive sheds light on this piss poor promotion from Spanish radio station "La Ley" WLEY 107.9 in Chicago. The ad features a row of female butts and a headline reading, “25 Pegaditas.” It’s promoting a contest where listeners must name 25 songs in a row for a chance to win cash. The Spanish translation for “pegaditas” is “little ones strung together.” However, some folks (particularly Hispanic women) insist it’s …