Mirage Ad

[billvon 2,400]

>And if talk is all that matters in marketing, and there is no such thing as
>bad publicity as many people here are saying, then this would make a
>great advertisement, right?

Yes - provided the goal was increased attention, and provided they could get it into their target media (magazines.) The standards of magazines often keeps such ads out of print.

>It's all about selling rigs, not being respectful!

Basically true.

[skyrider 0]

Well this is the second month and at least 25 days that thier ad has been spoke about, in a skydiving forum...I call that good advertising!

[JohnRich 4]

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I'm also disturbed by how readily the coolies ridicule the fuddy duddies with name-calling...
- John Rich

I finally saw the new ad...I laughed my as off, fuck the uptight assholes that thought the other ad's were too racey...
- skyrider

I rest my case on that point.

[billvon 2,400]

>Well this is the second month and at least 25 days that thier ad has
>been spoke about, in a skydiving forum...I call that good advertising!

Exactly.

A friend of mine has been making a wheat beer for years. It was called "witch's wit" and like most of his other beers had an odd pseudo-religious message on the back, with a picture of a witch being burned at the stake on the front. Text made it clear that this was a bad thing.

It didn't sell well for about three years - after all, it was an $8 bottle of beer. It was good, but most people don't want to pay $8 a bottle. Then some wiccans got upset about the image, said it promoted violence (and apparently combustion) against wiccans. They complained, local news covered it, then the New York Times did a page-3 story about it. They sold out their year's production in a week.

[normiss 622]

I am, again, impressed with your knowledge of, taste for, and exposure to craft brews.
Nom Nom Nom.

[JohnRich 4]

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Well this is the second month and at least 25 days that thier ad has been spoke about, in a skydiving forum...I call that good advertising!

So, if I wanted to promote the idea of a reality TV show about my family, it might be a good idea to create a media sensation by claiming (falsely) that my little boy was accidentally sent aloft in a helium balloon, and is in grave danger drifting about in the sky! It would get tons of media attention, and people would talk about it for at least a month. And as per the standards here of people like yourself, the more publicity, the better. We would create a cool nickname for the boy, oh, say something like "Balloon Boy". The media would eat it up. It's all good! The end justifies the means, right?

[Lindsey 0]

Shoot, businesses can advertise as they choose! If it sells, then GREAT for them. If they sell crappy products with seductive advertising, then boo on the consumer who was lured by his mid-brain...lol. DARWIN! :) It's not a big enough thing for folks to get their panties in a wad over. CHILL! Enjoy your ride.

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[skyrider 0]

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Well this is the second month and at least 25 days that thier ad has been spoke about, in a skydiving forum...I call that good advertising!

So, if I wanted to promote the idea of a reality TV show about my family, it might be a good idea to create a media sensation by claiming (falsely) that my little boy was accidentally sent aloft in a helium balloon, and is in grave danger drifting about in the sky! It would get tons of media attention, and people would talk about it for at least a month. And as per the standards here of people like yourself, the more publicity, the better. We would create a cool nickname for the boy, oh, say something like "Balloon Boy". The media would eat it up. It's all good! The end justifies the means, right?

Your having serious "personal" issues with me it seems...

Thanks!

[Squeak 17]

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~on a serious note, it IS great marketing. The ads are being talked about here on DizzyDot, Blue Skies, Parachutist has more letters in this months issue...supportive this time.

Only if you define "great marketing" as "getting people to talk about your company".

But the question is, has all that talk led to an increase in sales? That's the true end goal of marketing...

marketed good enough to make you post about it twice, which means it must have crossed your mind dozens of times to stick in your crawl so much! ya been sucked into their game!

I could care less about their "game". I'm just offering a counter-point here for the debate. And even though it may have crossed my mind twice, it hasn't made me want to buy their rig.

I was asked: Does this advertising affect the quality of their product?

I wouldn't know - they don't spend any of their advertising time talking about the quality of their product.

I figure there at two main types of people, relative to this ad.

The first group is those who either dislike the ads or think they are a nonsensical way to sell a skydiving rig. Let's call this group the "fuddy duddies". The fuddy duddies aren't going to be more likely to buy their rig because of these ads, so their marketing ploy is wasted on them. And in fact, to those who are morally offended, it's probably going to guarantee that those jumpers go to some other manufacturer to buy a rig, so Mirage will actually lose some customers from this group, who might otherwise have purchased from them.

The second group of people are those who think that it's cool to make sexual jokes in a glossy public magazine. I'll call them the "coolies". But are the coolies more likely to purchase the rig because of this ad? I don't know. But I would say that if they're choosing a rig upon which their life depends, simply because of a sexual advertisement, then they're not using the correct decision-making to guide their purchase.

So the question of the day is: Are enough coolies buying Mirages to offset the losses from the fuddy duddies, leading to a net increase in sales?

I'm also disturbed by how readily the coolies ridicule the fuddy duddies with name-calling, dividing our little community of skydivers, over this stupid series of ads.

Attached is my idea of a good advertisement. It shows a dramatic photo, accompanied by explanatory text, that explains why a rig that WORKS is most important. Not a rig that's pretty, or a rig made by a company that uses sex to make people feel cool.

your later argument could well be used for both described groups John. ANYONE who bases a rig purchase on frivolous advertising would be using “incorrect decision making”.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[JohnRich 4]

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Your having serious "personal" issues with me it seems...
Thanks!

I didn't until you classified some of my friends as "uptight assholes" just because they find the ads in question to be tasteless.

I happen to think that we should be able to disagree with the opinions of others, without considering them to be assholes because of it.

[Lindsey 0]

In my mind, the rigs today are all pretty good...and safe. So if you want to base your purchase on some ass-and-tit ad (I haven't seen the ad), then GO FOR IT! If you buy your rig based on comfort, then FINE. Whatever melts your butter. Why get upset over little stuff like this? Have a good time! :)

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[skyrider 0]

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Your having serious "personal" issues with me it seems...
Thanks!

I didn't until you classified some of my friends as "uptight assholes" just because they find the ads in question to be tasteless.

I happen to think that we should be able to disagree with the opinions of others, without considering them to be assholes because of it.

WOW....it was a Universal comment, and if they found it Offencive, IMO, they are uptight Assholes, My MIL is "The Church Lady" and she would have laughed at it...matter of fact, I'll show it to her next tiem we are visiting...

I'd be interested to see how you "classify" many of "my friends" My bet is you would cross the street to avoid them, Yet, they are very good people...

Me thinks you are taking "general" statements on the internet far too personal, and maybe need some time away from it!

[skyrider 0]

So, Which was more Offfencive?

Hot legs with a pair of panties?

Crashed DC 3 with bodies posed next to it?

[Bertt 0]

I don't know if it's what they intended, but the thing I took from the original ad was that some chicks dig a guy with a Mirage because he obviously has lots of spare money to throw around.

You don't have to outrun the bear.

[skyrider 0]

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I don't know if it's what they intended, but the thing I took from the original ad was that some chicks dig a guy with a Mirage because he obviously has lots of spare money to throw around.

Noooo, Noooo , Nooo/....it is men are so blinded by the thought of hot women, we will throw our money after a product, just because it gives us hope of gettin laid!

Get your head off your shoulders and put it in the gutter!

[shropshire 0]

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ANYONE who bases a rig purchase on frivolous advertising would be using “incorrect decision making”.

Quite.

Advertising works on multiple levels but I reckon that the part of the job of this kind of advertising is indirect. It's primary purpose is to insert the name of the company/product onto the viewers list, so that when they are in the market for a new 'product', the discerning buyer will take a closer look at that particular product.. If the advertiser has not managed to establish a presence on the buyers list - they have failed and in this case they clearly have not failed.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[VincePetaccio 0]

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How 'bout that new Mirage ad in Blue Skies Mag? Can't wait until next month to see what they're up to!

Edited to add a scan of the ad since I know it'll come up and some of you haven't gotten this month's issue.

Couldn't find the story behind the photo on blueskiesmag.com!

Come, my friends! 'Tis not too late to seek out a newer world!

[hcsvader 1]

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ANYONE who bases a rig purchase on frivolous advertising would be using “incorrect decision making”.

Quite.

Advertising works on multiple levels but I reckon that the part of the job of this kind of advertising is indirect. It's primary purpose is to insert the name of the company/product onto the viewers list, so that when they are in the market for a new 'product', the discerning buyer will take a closer look at that particular product.. If the advertiser has not managed to establish a presence on the buyers list - they have failed and in this case they clearly have not failed.

Yup, you don't see many new dolphins out there, but I sure do see alot of new mirage rigs

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[Airviking 0]

My first thought when I saw the ad was 'I've always wanted one of those!'

But seriously...it's really bad marketing, and won't help them sell a single system. But since I detest advertising anyway, I much prefer this to "effective" ads.

I believe you have my stapler.

[kasch 0]

That's pretty funny. Love em or hate em they are doing what they get paid to do....and they are doing it well!

Sex with sith is like sex with a stripper. A lot of flashing lights and waving of glowing sabers, but in the end you end up with something dark and wrinkely.

DPH# "-13"
TSK# "-13"

[WatchYourStep 0]

I will buy this rig, does it have a PM in it?

Borat on buying to impress

"You start off your skydiving career with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience up before your bag of luck runs out."

[labrys 0]

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And she even plays for our team... Tongue

Nah, not your team. I'm in another league.

Owned by Remi #?

[TriGirl 268]

Food for thought: why was this ad (the original panty-dropping ad that started this discussion) not okay, but no one has a problem with any of the ads run to promote boogies?

Just something to consider. Ad for a business (product) is protested, but ad for another business (event hosted by a DZ) is ignored. I won't point out any single boogie ad -- just the ads in general.

And... go.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[normiss 622]

Depends on the panties.

[kasch 0]

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Depends on the panties.

Size 8?

Sex with sith is like sex with a stripper. A lot of flashing lights and waving of glowing sabers, but in the end you end up with something dark and wrinkely.

DPH# "-13"
TSK# "-13"