Online Marketing Blog - Latest Comments in You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Ciara Carruthers — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:43:42 -0000

Hi,
I gotta say, I don't think you should have even mentioned it. Marketing ideas such as the above are created not be clever, not be funny, but to be controversial and therefore have people talk about it. And it has worked perfectly well as now I'm sure after your post a lot of people will have done a search for the video and done exactly what the video creators wanted.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Theron Gibbons — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:31:33 -0000

Until last month I worked in a store that sold Jawbone head sets, and they had a really awesome store video that was nothing like this. Also, they are an incredible product that shouldn't have to resort to this. Even though I am totally for freedom of speech and communications, I find it a pity that Aliph has degraded their product by producing such a trashy ad.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Rachelle Matherne - Five by Fi — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:03:03 -0000

Really good point, Lee.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Lee Odden — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:33:22 -0000

The irony of this post from an online reputation management perspective is that it ranks on Google for the agency name only because the CEO used it in his comments. All other references in the post have been removed.

A good lesson for those responding to dissenting blog posts.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Marc — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:15:07 -0000

When did we as a culture, jump the shark so to speak, and assume or presume that this was acceptable? there has to be some mindset or precedent provided by someone (Us as a collective group?)that lets them "think" that this is "do-able" without repurcussions.

Are we becoming so desensitzed that eventually even this will be "derigeur"? Or was this the unconscious opening salvo to break us down wherein the next time it happens, the reactions may not be as volatile?

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Chris from Massachusetts — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:33:39 -0000

Lee,
I totally agree.

Here is my review of all four commercials.
Uncalled for, Outrageous and should never have been created. This is not a conversation and it surpasses controversy.

You would think after viewing them that there was decancy among the advertising community. Just because these are viral videos and not tv ready commercials does not mean that there are not limits to what can be created. There needs to be limits set on what kind of content is created. I am all for free speech but this is pushing the limit.

We also have become a culture that should be done with getting ahead by putting others down and that is exactly what two of these videos do as they attack the Asian community very harshly as well as the gay community. By attacking stereotypes I do not think that we are breaking them down but providing an outlet for those that have them to express them.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

geld lenen — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:52:40 -0000

What a fun... Even the CEO is passing by!

Most amazing thing, you recieve 3-5 e-mails like this every day. That amazes me the most, I am sure here in The Netherlands you would be surprised even recieving once a year a "hint" like this.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Lee Odden — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:19:23 -0000

Thanks for the comments Rachelle - it's good advice. It should be noted that I have never heard of or had any communication with Ana. Her email to me was completely unsolicited.

Not that it will help matters in the short term, but I've decided to remove some of the identifying information as I have no interest in this post ranking on the agency's name.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Rachelle Matherne - Five by Fi — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:36:06 -0000

Two of the biggest problems here:

1. Ana should've been transparent about her intentions from the start.

2. Ana should've just written about the (incredibly grotesque) video herself, then invited other bloggers to the Digital Axle blog to discuss it.

Rachelle

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Lee Odden — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:32:52 -0000

Stephanie, you've qualified this as a story in your own words and it wouldn't be so if numerous people didn't respond, react and share opinions.

This is a blog where I share opinions, observations and insights both personal and professional - but mostly professional.

This post is about a mistake and appearance of lacking transparency on the part of the agency employee who sent an unsolicited email asking for a blog post.

Context is as, or more, important than content in this case. The email above follows a typical pitch as closely as I've ever seen and I've seen many. We get 3-5 pitches from PR people and bloggers each day. I know what a pitch looks like.

Claiming it's not a pitch and just an innocent, "Hey, this is a controversial video, check it out" simply runs contrary to common sense.

"it's entertainment not life and death" yes that's true and no one is saying it is anything different. My point of the post is to draw attention to how NOT to pitch and that sending a template email to well known bloggers without being clear of intentions is a big mistake.

As to the subject matter of the video, I am as is everyone else who reads this blog including yourself, entitled to their opinion.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Stephanie — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:05:02 -0000

Sorry Lee...i have to take issue with this.
You made this story about you. Something any self-respecting press-man would never do.

I'd say you have taken something very trivial and tried to generate your own publicity...if i were being critical, i'd also point out that you've over reacted to the content in the first place. As an ABC, i honestly take no offense. in fact i like when products spur conversation about race etc.

if you thought it was so bad, why ever post it?
and also, look around the web...it's entertainment not life and death.

sorry to be harsh but you're way off the mark here.

- steph

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

NeilC — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:00:34 -0000

It seems to me that Ana WAS pitching. The pitch goes something like this:-
"Hi Lee
This is controversial. What do you think?
Have I opened a dialogue with you now?
Thanks
Ana"
Its still a pitch Bruce, whatever sugar you wrap it in! Using the video in this way is effectively the same as flogging the product with the video.
Lets just call it a lapse in judgement as to the content of an appropriate pitch.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Lee Odden — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:40:36 -0000

"Sheila" I don't think that's really called for. If what Bruce and Ana are saying is true, it was a mistake. A very bad one, but a mistake all the same.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Sheila — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:26:03 -0000

Wow. Wow. Wow. Talk about poor judgment, Bruce Carlisle. It seems you and your little "Ana" just don't get it. No one will want to have a conversation with either of you now. Prepare the pink slips, call your attorney and start filing for bankruptcy. Digital Axle has lost all credibility. Pack it in, buddy.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Henry — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:56:12 -0000

We need to begin to applaud and encourage commercials like this. I for one have battled this for a long time. I am from China and educated in the US. I happen to own a jawbone. It does a great job at beating out noise.

I viewed this film as something highly provoking.

Finally someone has the courage to kill the very thing that we fight every day.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Doug Hudiburg — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:58:06 -0000

Well, I'll take the word of a CEO over that of a writer who is paid to help drive traffic.

Sounds like it was a mistake to me. They happen in companies all the time. Ana was trying to stir up controversy and get some traffic and buzz out of it, and it backfired.

The appropriate thing would have been to write a post on the Digital Axle blog and tap into the conversation that way. Why ask other bloggers to make the post?

Clearly, her approach was deeply flawed, but at least accept Bruce's clarification.

Maybe I'm being naive but Bruce has made his company's position clear in his comments.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Halfdeck — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:42:46 -0000

So Ana used a racist video as a marketing ploy to promote digital axle, like ET and The Insider considered using Heath Ledge's video to get higher ratings. It all makes sense now.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Bruce Carlisle — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:46:48 -0000

Lee: I appreciate your clarification.

To those who keep saying this was a pitch, I guess we could debate the definition forever. I simply want to make clear again, as some responders seem not to have understood my initial statement, that my agency has zero, zippo, nada relationship to Jawbone. We no economic or political interest in promoting them or the contents of their video.

Yes, Ana did send her email to several bloggers. I can attest that her only objective was to start a conversation and that through this conversation, that it might generate some traffic to our own blog. That's it. Nothing nefarious or sneaky intended.

On any given day, Ana is an ace writer who writes fun, entertaining coverage of this industry. Check it out some time at http://blog.digitalaxle.com (OK that was a gratuitous plug) We pay Ana to write interesting stuff for our blog and to use the world of tagging and trackbacks to help drive traffic to our blog. I absolutely encourage Ana to be outrageous (within bounds) because there is so much boring crap written about this industry. No doubt, this particular email may have represented a lapse in judgment.

But bottom line, as wildly strange as it may seem:

a) This was intended as a conversation starter (I guess that worked although not as intended) Commentators, if you can't buy that, your problem, not ours.

b) We absolutely condemn the point of view in the Jawbone video.

c) Nobody at our agency is getting paid by Jawbone or anyone else for Ana's email. Nobody here had ever heard of Jawbone until we saw this video. You can call it a pitch, if you must. You can call it George. But if you are going to be intellectually honest, you can't call this some sort of devious attempt to promote a tasteless, racist advertiser. Because it simply wasn't.

Again Lee, I appreciate the clarification.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Lee Odden — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:12:36 -0000

Bruce, thank you for the comment and your efforts at clarification.

Ana's email is copied word for word with the exception of the video URL being removed. That email clearly identifies Ana as an employee of your agency and the email is asking for a blog post.

There is no doubt the email is a solicitation to view and write about the Jawbone video. The request came from a person that identifies themselves in the signature as being from your agency.

The video is described as offensive, racist and unsettling, not your agency or Ana.

If she was acting on her own behalf and in no part involved with an intentional promotional effort in exchange for compensation, then the email above is the strangest "conversation" starter I've ever read.

After reading the comments of our blogs' readers above, it seems they agree.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Doug Hudiburg — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:07:06 -0000

Was it a pitch? Absolutely.

Kudos @Bruce for responding to this post, but I'm completely baffled by the disconnect between what your employee, Ana, was trying to do and your statement that there is absolutely no connection between your firm and Jawbone.

Especially in light of the fact that Andy Beal and others received the same email.

Lee, very good call for not linking directly to the video. This is a colossal mistake for Jawbone to make.

@Song I'm no Nietzche expert, but I'm quite sure he is rolling over in his grave, for things are even darker than he predicted if young people find this acceptable.

I on the other hand, expect this video to be uniformly rejected by humans, regardless of age.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Song Kwai Li — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:52:00 -0000

Its hard to believe so many advertising people are ashamed of this video. Lets remove the product and keep the image and the message and it stands out as one of the best online videos ever. Who wants cutesy witty humor tailored for by middle class suburbia - Frankly i think the younger generation is tired of that sh#t and this is what it needs. Messages are meant to slice and hammer, cut through the cord of paradigms and conventions. As Nietzsche once wrote "writers must write with blood".

I am 26 year old Chinese male

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Wingnut — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:29:41 -0000

Well, I saw the video and will now never buy what it was trying to sell... So well done on the EPIC FAIL!

I'm also inclined to agree with Matt that you don't make viral videos - you make funny/clever/shocking videos and hope that they get a million views... That's more than semantics saying you "just launched a viral video" is just not knowing what a viral video is...

It's like whatever company that made this heard about and then was able to sell a buzz word without understanding what it means... WEB 2.0! BLOG-o-SPHERE! VIRAL VIDEOS!

I just really wish I could meet the person who was able to sell this kind of thing to Jawbone - he/she must be the best BSer alive

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

whatsnext — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:35:05 -0000

Of course it was a pitch. an identical email was sent to a whole bunch of A-list bloggers. Ana said she would check back to see if we wrote about it. call it whatever you want. I don't care if you call it George. it's a pitch. and it's a deceitful pitch for a disgusting video that no client should ever have approved and no agency should ever have agreed to promote.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Todd Mintz — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:23:50 -0000

Did Ana pitch you? Yes, though I am curious as to what her motivations were...clearly, you aren't a likely target for this sort of pitch.

Speaking to Bruno's comment, I take issue that Ana was giving a negative spin to the video...I actually think she was speaking out of both sides of her mouth here...words like "controversial, provoking, unexpected, and, ultimately, shocking" aren't negative at all...she's attempting to lay some bait to get you to watch the video and talk about it.

I'm very hard to offend but there's far too much racial tension in today's world to put out this type of video...especially in a "business" context.

Re: You Make Me Sick – Viral Video Response

Marc — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:14:09 -0000

I am sitting here thinking that the effect that they were looking for, and surely they knew exactly what they were doing,was achieved. Unfortunate.