How many years until we really commercialize 9-11?
Anybody care to wager with me about how many years it will take for companies to really market the tragedy of 9-11?
Before I proceed, let me say that my mind was blown on that day of horrible destruction and death. Julie called me from her office and told me to turn the TV on right before the second plane hit - I was dumbfounded, shocked, and confused. She came home and we were pretty much glued to the news for the rest of the day and into the night.
Horrible loss of life. Thousands of families were changed forever. I understand the unexpected death of a loved one (my brother died in a freak car accident when I was six) and I know how it can tear apart family and friends.
That being said - what the heck is going on today? And yesterday...and the last week or maybe even longer. Every media outlet is plastering us with 9-11. I have real mixed emotions about this - do we really care about the events or is this just another media circus with some advertising revenue attached?
I lost interest in the 9-11 special on MSNBC last night after two or three commercial breaks. Some of the ads were relevant - ads by the National Ad Council talking about how we are all Americans and showing people of every stripe that make up the melting pot of our great country. Great message. But when the ad for Volvo's latest car and the incredible savings available for me with long distance service from Vonage came on they lost me.
As someone who used to SELL ADVERTISING (at country radio station WITL in Lansing) it really hit me that lots of salespeople had been working the phone lines, email lists, and fax machines over the preceding days and weeks to SELL ads during the broadcast of the 9-11 tributes. This is not news coverage with no breaks as it was on the day of infamy. This is radio, TV, and newspapers SELLING ads in the special 9-11 packages they are putting together. Yuck!
So, in my mind it is just a little step further before we have retailers offering special sales events to commemorate the events of ten years ago.
If you think I am smoking crack - read up a little on what Memorial Day (nee Decoration Day) was really intended to be.
"Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service." (see all the information about Memorial Day here: US Memorial Day)
Somehow we have turned a day to remember fallen soldiers into a bunch of sales events, extra shopping hours with an emphasis on grilling and getting to the beach - so why would we fail to do so when it comes to the Twin Towers?
Before I proceed, let me say that my mind was blown on that day of horrible destruction and death. Julie called me from her office and told me to turn the TV on right before the second plane hit - I was dumbfounded, shocked, and confused. She came home and we were pretty much glued to the news for the rest of the day and into the night.
Horrible loss of life. Thousands of families were changed forever. I understand the unexpected death of a loved one (my brother died in a freak car accident when I was six) and I know how it can tear apart family and friends.
That being said - what the heck is going on today? And yesterday...and the last week or maybe even longer. Every media outlet is plastering us with 9-11. I have real mixed emotions about this - do we really care about the events or is this just another media circus with some advertising revenue attached?
I lost interest in the 9-11 special on MSNBC last night after two or three commercial breaks. Some of the ads were relevant - ads by the National Ad Council talking about how we are all Americans and showing people of every stripe that make up the melting pot of our great country. Great message. But when the ad for Volvo's latest car and the incredible savings available for me with long distance service from Vonage came on they lost me.
As someone who used to SELL ADVERTISING (at country radio station WITL in Lansing) it really hit me that lots of salespeople had been working the phone lines, email lists, and fax machines over the preceding days and weeks to SELL ads during the broadcast of the 9-11 tributes. This is not news coverage with no breaks as it was on the day of infamy. This is radio, TV, and newspapers SELLING ads in the special 9-11 packages they are putting together. Yuck!
So, in my mind it is just a little step further before we have retailers offering special sales events to commemorate the events of ten years ago.
If you think I am smoking crack - read up a little on what Memorial Day (nee Decoration Day) was really intended to be.
"Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service." (see all the information about Memorial Day here: US Memorial Day)
Somehow we have turned a day to remember fallen soldiers into a bunch of sales events, extra shopping hours with an emphasis on grilling and getting to the beach - so why would we fail to do so when it comes to the Twin Towers?
Hope I am wrong.
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