Comments on: Does PR 2.0 Mean Lying to Get People to Pay Attention? http://www.thedeets.com/2009/10/04/does-pr-2-0-mean-lying-to-get-people-to-pay-attention/ Consistently against torture. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:36:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Other Mike http://www.thedeets.com/2009/10/04/does-pr-2-0-mean-lying-to-get-people-to-pay-attention/#comment-12232 The Other Mike Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:38:55 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3582#comment-12232 @ Seth...at best, you are arguing for a continued blurring of reality and advertisement. Why is that fun? Oh, if you are inside the joke, than you can laugh at the people who might take it serious. And I do not dispute for a second your stance than advertisements are everywhere and invasive in our lives. Kind of like noise. The real question is--does that make life better to be subjected to them, to have to sort out these different blurred realities at each turn? What of morals, what of ethics, what of standards people might rely upon to stabilize already stressful lives? @ Seth…at best, you are arguing for a continued blurring of reality and advertisement. Why is that fun? Oh, if you are inside the joke, than you can laugh at the people who might take it serious.

And I do not dispute for a second your stance than advertisements are everywhere and invasive in our lives. Kind of like noise.

The real question is–does that make life better to be subjected to them, to have to sort out these different blurred realities at each turn? What of morals, what of ethics, what of standards people might rely upon to stabilize already stressful lives?

]]> By: Seth http://www.thedeets.com/2009/10/04/does-pr-2-0-mean-lying-to-get-people-to-pay-attention/#comment-12224 Seth Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:23:35 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3582#comment-12224 @ The Other Mike Like I said on the other site, I'm not here to argue the campaign's execution. You, obviously, do not understand this correctly. The purpose was to build an experience that culminates in a "living" billboard. I know you have high standards for fun, but as far as billboards goes, that seems kind of fun. You're also assuming that it cost a lot of money to make...You obviously don't have experience with viral videos then. Does it look like it cost a lot of money to make? Anyway, I just think it's ridiculous to call this video out for the possibility of people mistaking it as real. And about the "fun", why are you thanking me? I'm not affiliated with this campaign in any way. Maybe this was a failure, that's not my point. And maybe you don't think it's fun, but maybe someone out there does. @ Ed Kohler I'll repost my comment from Secrets of the City here, in response to you actually thinking someone might think it's plausible that giant vines can grow 50+ stories on the IDS Tower in a day and it not be covered on the news anywhere. "I honestly cannot understand your issue with the “deception”. Where did they make the claim that it was real? And how can you honestly think that anyone who sees that video might think it’s real? Do you think that people surfing YouTube expect everything they see to be real? Maybe if it’s the very first video they’ve seen on YouTube… I think the negative publicity this is getting is because people here are blowing a minor issue out of proportion. So, you’re saying that it is manipulative because they don’t say it is an advertisement? Yes, the YouTube site doesn’t say it’s an ad. But wouldn’t that detract from the “fun” of the video? I would assume that most of the traffic this gets is from the Star Tribune website, and it clearly says “Advertisement” on there. Ads are everywhere, and the vast majority don’t disclaim that they’re ads. We only recognize them for ads because those methods of advertisement (i.e. billboards, commercials, print, etc.) have been around for a while. Sure, a guy who has no experience with modern civilization might think the first time he sees a Tide commercial that it’s just some nice lady telling him the best way to get stains out of his clothes. But if he sits around for another 30 seconds he’s going to realize that a different nice lady says Cheer is the best, and that he should probably try to figure it out himself. It’s a whimsical notion that giant vines can suddenly grow 50+ stories, I think that should be disclaimer enough. Do you not watch/read/listen to anything that makes any mention of brand names because it’s disguised advertising? Are you worried that when people turn on their TVs and see a cop show depicting a shootout in Manhattan they’ll think it’s real? Or that when they open a book and read about a Catholic conspiracy they’ll think it’s real? Where do you draw the line? Do you automatically assume that everything you see on a screen is real? Is it a problem for you to distinguish between reality and fiction without having a disclaimer beforehand?" @ The Other Mike Like I said on the other site, I’m not here to argue the campaign’s execution. You, obviously, do not understand this correctly. The purpose was to build an experience that culminates in a “living” billboard. I know you have high standards for fun, but as far as billboards goes, that seems kind of fun. You’re also assuming that it cost a lot of money to make…You obviously don’t have experience with viral videos then. Does it look like it cost a lot of money to make? Anyway, I just think it’s ridiculous to call this video out for the possibility of people mistaking it as real.

And about the “fun”, why are you thanking me? I’m not affiliated with this campaign in any way. Maybe this was a failure, that’s not my point. And maybe you don’t think it’s fun, but maybe someone out there does.

@ Ed Kohler I’ll repost my comment from Secrets of the City here, in response to you actually thinking someone might think it’s plausible that giant vines can grow 50+ stories on the IDS Tower in a day and it not be covered on the news anywhere.

“I honestly cannot understand your issue with the “deception”. Where did they make the claim that it was real? And how can you honestly think that anyone who sees that video might think it’s real? Do you think that people surfing YouTube expect everything they see to be real? Maybe if it’s the very first video they’ve seen on YouTube…

I think the negative publicity this is getting is because people here are blowing a minor issue out of proportion. So, you’re saying that it is manipulative because they don’t say it is an advertisement? Yes, the YouTube site doesn’t say it’s an ad. But wouldn’t that detract from the “fun” of the video? I would assume that most of the traffic this gets is from the Star Tribune website, and it clearly says “Advertisement” on there.

Ads are everywhere, and the vast majority don’t disclaim that they’re ads. We only recognize them for ads because those methods of advertisement (i.e. billboards, commercials, print, etc.) have been around for a while. Sure, a guy who has no experience with modern civilization might think the first time he sees a Tide commercial that it’s just some nice lady telling him the best way to get stains out of his clothes. But if he sits around for another 30 seconds he’s going to realize that a different nice lady says Cheer is the best, and that he should probably try to figure it out himself. It’s a whimsical notion that giant vines can suddenly grow 50+ stories, I think that should be disclaimer enough. Do you not watch/read/listen to anything that makes any mention of brand names because it’s disguised advertising? Are you worried that when people turn on their TVs and see a cop show depicting a shootout in Manhattan they’ll think it’s real? Or that when they open a book and read about a Catholic conspiracy they’ll think it’s real? Where do you draw the line?

Do you automatically assume that everything you see on a screen is real? Is it a problem for you to distinguish between reality and fiction without having a disclaimer beforehand?”

]]> By: The Other Mike http://www.thedeets.com/2009/10/04/does-pr-2-0-mean-lying-to-get-people-to-pay-attention/#comment-12222 The Other Mike Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:57:35 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3582#comment-12222 So if I understand this correctly, the net result of this bogus news-like video by a PR firm hired by an Ad firm was to push people to read a billboard by MOA? So not only was it misleading 'fun', but also a complete waste of time, and given it's pitiful viewership, it was a complete waste of money, eh? Whew, glad to have that straightened out...thanks? Seth...for the 'fun'? So if I understand this correctly, the net result of this bogus news-like video by a PR firm hired by an Ad firm was to push people to read a billboard by MOA?

So not only was it misleading ‘fun’, but also a complete waste of time, and given it’s pitiful viewership, it was a complete waste of money, eh?

Whew, glad to have that straightened out…thanks? Seth…for the ‘fun’?

]]> By: Ed Kohler http://www.thedeets.com/2009/10/04/does-pr-2-0-mean-lying-to-get-people-to-pay-attention/#comment-12221 Ed Kohler Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:43:59 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3582#comment-12221 @seth, good point about the choice of YouTube accounts. The video itself than how it was posted to YouTube. "It isn't lying. It's fun." works better for art than advertising, in my opinion. I wouldn't expect someone who's read the press release or with the benefit of hindsight to be duped by this. However, people stumbling across this on YouTube or the front page of StarTribune could certainly be fooled. My bad about calling CCF a PR firm. I had a hard time figuring out what they were based on their full-Flash website. @seth, good point about the choice of YouTube accounts. The video itself than how it was posted to YouTube.

“It isn’t lying. It’s fun.” works better for art than advertising, in my opinion.

I wouldn’t expect someone who’s read the press release or with the benefit of hindsight to be duped by this. However, people stumbling across this on YouTube or the front page of StarTribune could certainly be fooled.

My bad about calling CCF a PR firm. I had a hard time figuring out what they were based on their full-Flash website.

]]> By: Seth http://www.thedeets.com/2009/10/04/does-pr-2-0-mean-lying-to-get-people-to-pay-attention/#comment-12220 Seth Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:47:35 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3582#comment-12220 You're mad that this video is "deceptive" but you're also mad that they used new accounts? So this would somehow be less deceptive if they had used real accounts to post the video? How does that make any sense? It isn't lying. It's fun. Clearly this shouldn't be mistaken for an actual news story. It's SUPPOSED to be fake. It's supposed to pique some interest in a product. To be fair, I am posting this several weeks after the initial video was posted and have the benefit of hindsight. Though, if you had actually read the PR release, it is clear that this campaign is all buildup for the billboard by the MOA. And why do you keep calling CCF a PR firm? They do advertising. This is advertising. That's why they hired a PR firm to do PR for them. Get your ducks in a row before you criticize something so strongly. You’re mad that this video is “deceptive” but you’re also mad that they used new accounts? So this would somehow be less deceptive if they had used real accounts to post the video? How does that make any sense?

It isn’t lying. It’s fun. Clearly this shouldn’t be mistaken for an actual news story. It’s SUPPOSED to be fake. It’s supposed to pique some interest in a product.

To be fair, I am posting this several weeks after the initial video was posted and have the benefit of hindsight. Though, if you had actually read the PR release, it is clear that this campaign is all buildup for the billboard by the MOA.

And why do you keep calling CCF a PR firm? They do advertising. This is advertising. That’s why they hired a PR firm to do PR for them.

Get your ducks in a row before you criticize something so strongly.

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