Mardi Gras ad gives ads a bad name
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As an advertising professional, I am aghast by the recent Mardi Gras ad (Jan. 20-27, page 11). What were the marketing folks thinking? Did the advertising strategy (if there was one) say, “Let’s provoke those anti-establishment types who already have complete disregard for authority with a message that challenges them?� Or did it say, “Let’s completely destroy our tourism campaign with an anti-outsiders message?�
Also confusing is why this ad runs in local papers when it’s the outsiders it’s trying to discourage. Does it mean people from Paso Robles or Pismo aren’t welcome to visit SLO? This is the kind of advertising that I always find myself apologizing for when I tell people what I do for a living. Surely there is a more creative and effective way to communicate that Mardi Gras isn’t the party it once was.
Tired of apologizing,
Ellen Curtis
Director of Creative Instigation
Advertise Here Inc.
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