We keep our eye on the epic advertising contest between Rogers and Bell in their campaign to persuade young users that each has the fastest wireless service. One such entry ran all winter. It features three turning 20 or so kids, two guys and actor Kendra Timmins. As everyone who owns a television set will know, the guy with the Rogers service effectively blackmails his friend into running around outside in the winter conditions dressed only in his underwear. Some call it bullying. The phone guy’s hammer in this apparently amusing humiliation of his friend is his super fast Rogers wireless service with which he will purchase tickets to a concert — maybe. “What’s it worth to you?” he smirks at his friend. Merely an edit away we see the hapless guy outside in his underpants. The ad has now shown up on YouTube where a number of comments tear a strip off Rogers for this celebration of how to deal with your buddies. “This commercial promotes bullying and black mail. Way to go Rogers!” says one. The comment below it says: “I came here to post the same exact thing.” A third comment says: “This commercial is appalling. Basically, buying a Blackberry z10 will turn you into (censored). Sweet.” All of this is important since this portrayal originates not among giggling high school students like those who apparently harassed Rehteah Parsons. The giggling geniuses behind this scenario are ad executives. Otherwise responsible people at Rogers must have liked it too. It ran for months. But it’s not funny. It’s sad just by itself and as a tip off to the deeply-seated tendency among us to celebrate pushing people around for fun, it’s pathetic. “Blackmail” wireless ad makes some feel uneasy
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We keep our eye on the epic advertising contest between Rogers and Bell in their campaign to persuade young users that each has the fastest wireless service. One such entry ran all winter. It features three turning 20 or so kids, two guys and actor Kendra Timmins. As everyone who owns a television set will know, the guy with the Rogers service effectively blackmails his friend into running around outside in the winter conditions dressed only in his underwear. Some call it bullying. The phone guy’s hammer in this apparently amusing humiliation of his friend is his super fast Rogers wireless service with which he will purchase tickets to a concert — maybe. “What’s it worth to you?” he smirks at his friend. Merely an edit away we see the hapless guy outside in his underpants. The ad has now shown up on YouTube where a number of comments tear a strip off Rogers for this celebration of how to deal with your buddies. “This commercial promotes bullying and black mail. Way to go Rogers!” says one. The comment below it says: “I came here to post the same exact thing.” A third comment says: “This commercial is appalling. Basically, buying a Blackberry z10 will turn you into (censored). Sweet.” All of this is important since this portrayal originates not among giggling high school students like those who apparently harassed Rehteah Parsons. The giggling geniuses behind this scenario are ad executives. Otherwise responsible people at Rogers must have liked it too. It ran for months. But it’s not funny. It’s sad just by itself and as a tip off to the deeply-seated tendency among us to celebrate pushing people around for fun, it’s pathetic. 