Now to do something I never do. Talk about work from the agency I work at. I don't push anything that we do because I don't believe I need to, the work talks for itself. However, this I could not let pass me buy.
WE WERE VANDALIZED. Well, some of our work. What really gets me is that these vandals come from a group of people that I would not anticipate as the vandal kind. Vegans.
In case you haven't seen the campaign, this is how the billboard actually reads:
When did vegans become such badasses? Was it when I was eating that chicken wrapped in delicious bacon? I was a bit distracted at that point in time. I may not have noticed.
What gets me, is that these VV's (Vegan Vandals) are now targeting the campaign. This billboard doesn't even mention veganism:
Are Vegan's even allowed to drink beer? Is this an endorsement?I actually Googled the question - lots of people ask it. It even turned up on Auto Complete:
I'm sure I have seen the vegans I know drink beer. Google doesn't seem to want to give me a definitive answer.
Maybe the VV's thought the first billboard was so funny that they decided to endorse Ranfurly?
I think that it's all a little hilarious and luckily the client isn't overly concerned (although those vegans can pay for the reprint and re-install!) but of groups to vandalize a billboard, vegans were not at the top of my list.
So, Monica's top tip for the day: Keep an eye out for Vegans. While they project this environmental caring/not eating living things persona's, they'll deface your property. Especially watch out for the ones with spray-paint cans.
18 comments:
Pity their beer tastes like weak piss
Vegan beer or Ranfurly?
I'm actually quite partial to Ranfurly. Very drinkable.
Ranfurly will always be that $9.95 dozen you should not buy.
Creative is a bit piss weak too.
Ranfurly has actually had a bit of a brew makeover and is no longer $9.95 a dozen. By the way, I haven't seen a $10 doz since I was at uni over 6 years ago. Does such a thing still exist?
I'm sorry you don't like the creative, but each to their own. Isn't it nice that we're not all the same?
In the interest of full disclosure, someone posted a comment about this post which used the c-word. While I have been known to use this word from time to time, it is not something that I am happy having on my blog.
At any rate, this person is obviously not particularly happy with this advertising and for that I am sorry. I do think, however, that taking the ad for what it is, an attempt at humour, rather than taking it personally, might be a a good idea.
Each to their own, and of course this person is entitled to their opinion. I just wish they would express it without using that kind of language.
this vandalism rules.
If you mock a group of people, can you really be surprised when some of the people you're mocking take offence?
I don't think it is mocking, simply making a joke. I seem to frequently be the butt of numerous jokes, but I am able to laugh at myself, I don't slash someones tires or deface property.
In the same vain, I was offended by the Racket billboard: http://opinionadded.blogspot.com/2010/06/bad-billboard.html
but I wrote about it, I didn't vandalise it.
I certainly don't expect someone to commit a criminal offence because they feel like a group they identify with were the punchline to a joke.
Ah, right, so having too much text on a billboard is equally offensive to implying that veganism is unmanly and that vegans would compromise their ethics on the basis of...bacon.
If you created a billboard that said the cure to Christianity/Islam was a few drinks and some good sex, you'd create massive offence, and could reasonably expect illegal responses. If you created a billboard that mocked, a minority political view, you could reasonably expect people to respond with either legal or illegal means.
Your surprise in your original post seems to be more that your designated target was not as meek and willing to be victimised as you suspected.
I am unsympathetic. This is a minor act of vandalism; criminal, but negligible. Your company received only what it should reasonably have anticipated.
You can cure Christianity? That would be awesome. Sorry. Just jokes. I know it's impossible to make someone see that just because they say they are Christian it is OK to do outrageously horrible things to other people.
People are always going to be offended by different things. Me, I am offended by bad creative.
I agree that the vandalism was minor, I even think it was clever. However, tagging a billboard in the dead of night is like commenting anonymously on a blog, it sure is nice to hide behind no identity.
I would think it makes more of a statement to stand behind your opinion and take it to the ASA? If they were that committed to the cause they could have affected more change than a new skin being printed.
I'm not arguing that vandalism is the most constructive approach. I am, however, saying that it was predictable, and that you reap what you sow. If you mock a group of people, you look a bit silly when you're outraged that they respond. Sure, they may have responded in a better way - but your surprise and faux outrage is silly.
On the topic of 'bad creative': The Ranfurly advertisements are stereotypical and childish, based on a tired cliche that has already been mined dry. They are recycled, uncreative ideas, with the addition of childish, insipid jokes.
Insipid humour and childishness, of course, was rife throughout your original post, and indeed your last reply. You are hardly the first person in the world to make a joke about the (false) cliche of the vegan hippie.
And we're onto personal attacks. Awesome. I admit, that the Christian statement did not need to be aired, that is my axe to grind somewhere else.
In regards to insipid humour and childishness throughout my post - have you read my other posts? It's a running theme. It is also probably why I like the ad so much and laugh every time I see it.
The joy about this blog is that it is my opinion. Not my mothers, my sisters, my fathers, my friends or my employers. Mine. Which means I get to write what I think. (I think you can find a disclaimer top right.) It also means that thanks to this beautiful thing called free will, no one is forced to read it.
By the way - I never called them vegan hippies. In fact, I don't even personally know any vegan hippies. Vegans, yes. Hippies, yes. Vegan Hippies, no.
Anonymous. Your original comment — the one about how the beer tasted like weak piss. This brings to mind a question that I have often wondered about vegans — how is your flow? I understand that often vegans have low creatine levels, often leading to them failing drug tests. Low creatine has, in some cases, also been known to affect your ability to have a healthy flow. If this is the case for yourself then I don't blame you for staying anonymous. Wise move, my friend. How embarrassing.
Just to clarify.
You often wonder about Vegans urine flow?
That’s a truly odd thing to ponder on a regular basis Mike and it must be curse to be plagued with such thoughts. Do you often wake in the middle of the night and lay there thinking about streams of urine? Have you considered professional help or joining a urine anonymous support group?
My thoughts and prayers are with you Mike – I hope you can beat this terrible infliction.
lame campaign, and way too similar to tui's yeah right to deem any sort of creative work. At least the vegan's made it interesting, and noticable.
Curious how you can liken this campaign to Tui? I don't see it personally.
The whole ad campaign is pretty dumb IMHO. A group of men is called a pub? Might as well have read 'Drink Ranfurly if you are unimaginative and have a lame sense of humour'
i'm confused: you mock people for their ethical beliefs in order to make a profit for your corporate masters and are confused that they take offense? man, you're a jerk.
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