Listen to Glenn Sacks this Sunday....new campaign to be announced

[StPaulieGirl]

I get Glenn Sacks' newsletter, but he was talking about this ad.  The one I saw, and I think it's Verizon cell phones,  has the dad, mom and all the kids together.  Dad explains the benefits of the new plan, stating that now the family can stay in touch, something along those lines.  The kids roll their eyes, then Mom says that with the unlimited minutes, they can talk all they want to with their friends.  The kids break out into smiles, run over to Mom, and hug her.  They all leave the room while Dad is still trying to say something.

Anyone see that one??   If I see it again, I'll double check to make sure it's a Verizon product.  

What's wrong with these advertising agencies?  They're the ones who come up with these ideas, then convince the client that focus groups approve of the concept.  I'm more than a little tired of seeing the old "incompetent, clueless dad" concept.

[Hawkeye]

There was a boo-boo on the email list, I couldn't get it to work straight from hisside.com, so I fixed it... It popped up with a " in the middle of Hoey's email addy.   Sent this out just moments ago, highest priority and return receipt requested... hehe...   The Verizon site shows a dog pawing at a fire-hydrant on a screen. Let's be the dog, and p*** on Verizon! lol!

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]


Dear Verizon executives,

Your recent advertisement "The Elliots: Homework" is, by concept and presentation, disgusting, deplorable and gender-biased. It amounts to little more than subliminal hate speech.

I have a son about the age of the girl in your spot and resent any implication that any decent parent should be discouraged from attempting to enrich their children's lives by helping with their homework. It is ludicrous to imply that washing the dog is somehow more important than one's children.

I live in xxxxxxxxx, Iowa and hope it will not be shown in my area. Please, immediately remove it from any and all markets in which it is scheduled to be shown.

Downplaying the overwhelming positive contribution (statistically) a loving parent, who in this instance, happens to be male, does not speak well of the "values" your company claims to promote.

(From: http://www22.verizon.com/about/careers/codeofconduct/ emphasis added)
"...integrity and respect serve as the overarching principles for how Verizon conducts its business. Our goal is to be the most respected brand in communications by making and keeping promises to our customers, our communities, our shareholders, and our employees. The Verizon Promise, which appears on the inside cover of our Code of Business Conduct, highlights these commitments."

It appears you have broken your promise, as you have lost my respect. I will not purchase any product of yours and will urge everyone possible to do the same. Please, review and correct this blatant lack of respect for fathers/parents and their children.

Sincerely,

[MYSONSDAD]

Spiffy trick! All noted Verizon personnel will receive my letter.

By the way, Great Letter! You crack my A$$....

[Hawkeye]

Thanks!... but bigger thanks go to msme (Betty?) for bringing this to Glen's attention!  If anyone is having trouble getting email to send, feel free to cut/paste my revised list. I'm sending it to Glen and crew now.

That commercial better not see the light of day, past hisside.com...

I can deal with being a comedian in front of kids, but being told to butt out is, well, to put it nicely, unnaceptable!

Spread the word.... (and pass the mustard!) ;)

[MYSONSDAD]

Hope Glenn updates, I can not get the mail to send.

And passing this to all I know and then some...
 
"Children learn what they live"

[Kitty C.]

Glenn,

.......The Verizon commercial is not being aired here in eastern Iowa, but I wanted you to be aware of another commercial by a VERY large company that you might want to add to the campaign........from Toys 'R Us:  two brothers are in a rush to get up and get the morning paper, since the Christmas TRU catalog is in it. They try going out the bedroom door together and get stuck shoulder-to-shoulder, while their little sister walks by carrying the catalog, makes some snide comment to them about how stupid they are/look, and goes into her room. When she shuts the door, you can VERY plainly see a sign on her door that says' 'Girls Rule, Boys Drool'.
 
The message is VERY clear:  boys are idiots and girls are the only sensible ones.  It's one thing when these large companies use the media to show their bias against fathers and men in general......but doing it to our kids as well????  What a wonderful message they are sending to our kids!  From a toy company during the Christmas advertising season, to boot!  just my opinion, but I think Toys 'R Us should be hit as hard or harder than Verizon.  ALL kids are avidly watching for TRU's commercials and anything else about what the new toys for the season will be.  Millions of kids will be seeing this commercial and be exposed to this.  

I hope you seriously consider adding TRU to your campaign, given the season and exposure of this company!

Kitty C.

[Kitty C.]

Thanks to Glenn Sacks for the following.
Links to related items are at the bottom.

ACFC
http://www.acfc.org/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200411\CUL20041109c.html

CNSNews.com
November 09, 2004

'Anti-Male' Marketing Prompts Complaints
by Susan Jones

Angry parents and grandparents are letting Verizon Communications know they don't like a new Verizon DSL commercial that makes fun of fathers.

Glenn Sacks, a nationally syndicated radio talk show host, urged his
listeners to call Verizon, after learning about a TV ad that shows a father
trying, but failing, to help his young daughter with her homework.

The daughter, annoyed by her father, looks to her mother for intervention.  The mother tells the father to go wash the dog, orders him to leave the daughter alone, and then yells at him when he is slow to comply, Sacks said.

Sacks told listeners that he "doesn't think Verizon means any harm." But he said it appears that the company - like some others -- has developed a "moral blind spot towards disparaging males."

According to Sacks, "Research shows how indispensable fathers are to their children's well-being....it is tremendously damaging to convince kids that their father is an idiot or that fathers are worthless."

Sacks said he initiated the "call-Verizon" campaign after being contacted by a Texas grandmother who said she had been rebuffed by Verizon when she complained about the ad.

"Our culture should be long past portraying men, and particularly fathers, as fools a la Homer Simpson, said Michael McCormick, executive director of the American Coalition for Fathers and Children.

Verizon claims to honor "core values of integrity and respect," McCormick noted in a press release. "We would expect that their public communications would better reflect these beliefs," he added.

Sacks' Los Angeles-based show, "His Side," launched a successful campaign earlier this year against a line of children's clothing and accessories bearing the slogan, "Boys are Stupid." The effort resulted in removing the items from 95 percent of stores that carried them, Sacks said.

Sacks says his listeners also were instrumental in killing a California bill
that would have given custodial mothers the unlimited right to move children away from their fathers.

In addition to his radio host job, Sacks also writes regular columns on
fathers' rights and gender issues from a male perspective.

Copyright 1998-2004 Cybercast News Service.
CNSNews Home:  http://www.cnsnews.com/
~~~
Related items:

Fatherhood Activists Protest TV Ad  (AP)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,138068,00.html
by Associated Press -- FOXNews, 09 Nov 04

Verizon Bombarded by Protests Over Anti-Father Ad
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=39530
http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/1104/110904-verizon.htm
U.S. Newswire/MND Newswire, 09 Nov 04  (original press release)

His Side Campaign Against Anti-Father 'Leave Her Alone!' Verizon Commercial
http://www.hisside.com/verizon_campaign.htm

His Side with Glenn Sacks:  http://www.hisside.com/
Glenn Sacks Home:  http://www.glennjsacks.com/
MND:  http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/

[Hawkeye]

Glen wrote me and said his web-guy told him the list "should" work. Try copy/paste the below into the "to" box of your email if all else fails.

woop... 5:17 (Iowa time)
I just checked Glen's site, his webmaster must have tweeked the link as the " is gone and all the Verizon emails appear in seperate "to" lines, rather than separated by semi-colons on the same line. 1600 emails as of Noon today!!!  (keeping this one on top)

http://www.hisside.com/verizon_campaign.htm  Scroll about 1/3 down and click on " Email Verizon Representatives "

OR
copy from here-> [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]


>Hope Glenn updates, I can not get the mail to send.
>
>And passing this to all I know and then some...
>
>"Children learn what they live"

[Hawkeye]

Also, thanks to Joni for her original post on SPARC.

Kitty, no wonder you haven't answered my emails... lol!  You're just one busy gal!  Kudos!

Update: I re-sent my email to the Verizon folks as I had tagged it with a "return reciept". Nobody from corporate responded. (Till now) They're not evil, maybe just shopping for a new ad agency. lol!!!

It's an option for folks to click on, when they recieve an email, but at least lets the sender know it was opened. Read, understood and acted upon is yet to be determined.

But "determination" is what us good parents are all about. As of 4pm, Glen's website ( //www.hisside.com ) shows over 1700 emails sent... WooHoo!!!!  We got 'em by the ear now, don't let up!!!

I can hardly wait for Glens show on Sunday to see how this turns out... see //www.hisside.com for YOUR listening venue.  This faux-paus of advertising is HUGE now!

Apparently one at least opened my email.
*****************
Return Receipt
                                                                           
    Your      Written Complaint: Anti-Father 'Leave Her Alone!' Commercial
    document                                                              
    :                                                                      
  was       Jon H. Davies/EMPL/CA/Verizon                                
    received                                                              
    by:                                                                    
                                                                           
    at:       11/10/2004 16:10:01 PST
*******************
On the "Verizon" - ToysRUs - We're checkin our lists...  heheh... pun intended!  Don't shoot (an email) till you see the whites of their eyes, commercially speaking! ;^)

Another update: Harry J. Mitchell/EMPL/WV/Verizon  11/10/2004 19:54:00 EST  

Maybe Verizon's apology for this slap in the face of dedicated fathers as parents would be... a free cell phone to keep a ~connection~ with our kids. How about a DadPhone, dedicated number to the one parent they can't talk with because of the other parent's lousy attitude?

[MYSONSDAD]

It's funny that you should mention the dadphone. I was just checking the internet to see if there are any phones where you can program one number so my son can call when he wants. I want one where all he does it hit one button and he can call anytime.

Haven't found anything yet. My little guy is young yet, but next year should be perfect.