Would You Like Propaganda With That Fill Up?
Harper and crew have begun what they call an “innovative campaign” to put ads on video monitors on gas pumps that spout party propaganda to drivers as they fill the tank – but it ain’t gonna happen for this guy, and if the rest of you have any smarts between your ears you’ll refuse to play as well.
I pull up to the pumps to put gas in the tank and, unless I need a pack of smokes or a packet of gum, that’s all I want.
The first time I see one of those gadgets on a pump I’m at will see me putting the nozzle back in its holder before one single drop of gasoline has fallen, walking into the office, and telling the owner/manager that until the propaganda machines disappear s/he has lost my business.
I imagine there are a whole bunch of simple minded Conservatives out there who think this is a grand idea, and who will be holding their partisan bellies as they chortle with glee every time they hear a new Harp-o-mercial at the pumps…. I wonder how long they’ll be laughing when the Liberals, or the NDP, or the Greens, follow suit (because if it looks like it works you know they will) at which point we’ll never know what sort of political bull shit we’ll be faced with at the pumps?
– or some other politically innovative place.
[ h/t: The Stormy Days of March ]
Edit: Post amended to include ads on in the sentence “Harper and crew have begun what they call an “innovative campaign” to put ads on video monitors on gas pumps….” As pointed out by Paulm in the comments the video monitors are already there, the CPoC did not put them there – that’s what I get for typing in haste.
[ratings]
Like it or not the campaign is innovative. If you say anything enough times to enough people it becomes reality. If you slam Dions gas tax idea right at the very spot where people are getting gouged, it’s going to work.
As crass as it may be, it is smart politics.
Frankly, I’m with you both, Nasty & SL. It is crass and irritating (and I, too, supporter tho I am, would find a quieter place to fill up), but it is also innovative.
What is NOT innovative is this (from the link provided): “…The Liberals have not yet announced the details of their environmental plan, but are considering a carbon tax that would not apply to the price of gasoline at the pumps, but to most other fuels that release carbon dioxide when they are burned, such as home heating fuel…”
What a crock. How do you justify a carbon tax on home heating products but not on gas? WTF is that? (Not to imply that I’m for any kind of carbon tax, but this half-a$$ed measure is ridiculous.)
So, should we also boycott television stations that accept negative ads from the Tories? I don’t like negative ads either, but I’m not gonna stop watching T.V. over it. What if other parties make negative ads (oh, I’m sure they’d NEVER… but I could be wrong) do we boycott those t.v. channels too? I’m not sure I see how suddenly negative political advertising is boycott worthy (I mean, it’s boycott worthy, no one likes it, but why now?).
I guess I also kinda feel like it’s unfair to attack the company broadcasting the ad for the content of the ad. Shouldn’t people be allowed to broadcast whatever they like (or, not LIKE, but whatever they can get paid to broadcast) short of criminal limits, of course. Then again, if we refused to use the services of companies that accept negative advertising maybe we’d make a dent in negative advertising?
Or maybe we’d all just be horribly bored with no media left for us to watch, read or listen to.
This is going to be yet another communications disaster for Harper and his group of misfits. When it comes down it all this latest stunt will really achieve is getting more money into the hands of oil companies, as I’m sure they don’t give those ad spots away. It also exposes the Conservative tendency to make up “facts” about any Liberal idea that isn’t explicitly detailed for them. Baird is insisting that the carbon tax idea will result in 50 cents more a liter at the pumps and that it will have no effect on climate change , but when asked how he knows that he just keep blathering on like he didn’t even hear the question.
And I don’t think that Canadians are so stupid that they’ll just start believing all this crap if they see it on an LCD next to a gas pump enough times. Although it is a shining example of how the Conservatives like to try and exploit negative emotion for their own benefit. (turn gas price rage against the evil Liberals)
I’d be willing to bet that the campaign is “scaled back” by the end of the week, any takers?
Don’t stations like that make most of their money off of what you buy inside the store? It’d hurt more if you gave up the smokes and gum.
@Lord Kitchener\’s Own –
LKO:
Personally, If Harper wants to do this, I don’t mind at all. It just opens him up to the attack (already started by the Liberals) that Big Oil with their multi-billion dollar profits and he are in each other’s pockets and colluding to make sure Canada isn’t serious about climate change.
The difference, LKO, is that I have to fill up my car, but I don’t have to watch TV. Hence, if subjected to an ad that I can’t turn off, I’ll simply “switch channels,” i.e., boycott the station and go somewhere else.
It seems to me, cynical as I am, that LKO is indicating that the Liberals have been given an idea here. Don’t–I repeat, don’t–try it, OK? Or I’ll switch to a bicycle.
I got some Conservative Party of Propaganda in my inbox today with this link in it – again, my rubber will not grace the pavement of the gas station that subjects me to any form of political propaganda from any party.
Quit being so partisan and try comparing apples to something other than hot air balloons LKO. Did you not read the final paragraph of my post?
I expect TV and radio to have advertisements – it’s how they make their money, gas stations make theirs off the gas I’m pumping into the tank.
If I don’t like what I see on TV I turn it off, or move to another channel… and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing with my gasoline purchasing decisions if any political propaganda (and this next part is for you LKO so pay attention) of any nature from any party arrives at a pump near me.
Whooee! I think the part about the CPC paying Big Oil to advertise political propaganda is going to blow up in their faces. Big Oil already makes obscene profits. Now, Harper is adding to those profits with ad money. Nastyboy, when the gougers are spoutin’ CPC propaganda, I ain’t sure the gougees are gonna fall for it.
Here in my little burg, we only got one gas station. It’s Esso. They put new pumps in about a year ago but I don’t know if they are high-tech enough to show these ads. I don’t own a vehicle but I borrow one once in a while and when I do, I always buy gas. If my local gas station is showing these ads, I’ll make sure I buy gas elsewhere. I never borrow a vehicle unless I’m leavin’ town and there’s plenty of independent gas stations in the surrounding towns.
JB
Of course Dawg, you don’t HAVE to fill up your car!
LOL
Sorry. As one of the “doesn’t own a car” set I can afford to be holier than thou on automotive related issues (in all seriousness though I realize many people need cars, but who can pass up an opportunity to be self-righteous!
)
As for Stageleft’s point, I do see it. I got the impression that some people were mostly upset by the content of the ads, not that there were ads playing at gas stations, and I just figure if you’re gonna sell advertising time you ought to be allowed to sell it to whomever you please (within the limits of the law of course) without too much grief (just like the T.V. stations do). But I too am as annoyed as anyone at the way we’re bombarded these days, I guess I’m just at the point where I mostly tune it out. I guess I’ve just come to accept that I’ll be bombarded with info anywhere I go, and it’s up to me to ignore the chaff and pick out the wheat (if there is any!).
I do think this will backfire on the Tories though, for sure. They’re using the gas companies infrastructure to sell their message, which just emphasizes that much more that their message is the gas companies message. That’s why I thought somebody (maybe an NGO, not a political party… Greenpeace maybe) ought to engage in some creative counter programing. Harper wants you to think about even higher prices and rising taxes on gas (even though that’s not what it is) everytime you fill the tank? Maybe someone else ought to remind you that we’re (not so) slowly killing the planet while you’re filling up.
I imagine if any politicians read ANY blogs the other parties will avoid getting on this same bandwagon, as the reaction’s been… not good…but I do think it would be nice to see someone countering the propaganda with the truth on the same medium.
I wonder if the gas companies would let me buy an ad that just says “Gas is ridiculously expensive! Buy a more fuel efficient car… bike to work… carpool”. Wouldn’t you love to hear a gas pump tell you that?
Soon they will be putting up huge billboards at the airports showing a benevolent Stephen with a slogan such as: We stand on guard for thee. then these billboards will be gracing the sides of major highways. Soon the Goodyear blimp will become The Blimp (aka Stevie boy). Eventually, there will be the constant drone of attack ads and propaganda piped into each home, each TV and radio set, each iPod will be programmed to insert the same dreadful slogan… over and over.
That’s when I pull the pin, folks. When it begins to look like Turkey around here.
Your post is very misleading. You say: the CPC will “PUT” monitors to show the ads, that’s not true. The monitors are already there, and already showing ads, the CPC is simply buying ad time.
Sort of like when we had the LIBERANO$ manufactured “SCANDALS ” rammed down our throats, day in and day, out for months on TV and in newspapers by the LIEBERAL media?
The monitors are already there, and already showing ads
They’re there but according to what’s coming out today, it is illegal to display such advertisements on these screens within the City of Toronto.
Whooee! Them Law’n'Order Con’s wouldn’t break the law, would they?
JB
I like Ontario Girl’s summary of the entire body of Conservative achievement AND campaign platform to date.
“Canada’s Conservatives. Hardly any worse than the LIberals were, yet.”
The latest: Fuelcast refuses to run the ads. It has a policy against political adverts.
Good thing the Con’s didn’t make any big announcements about these Fuelcasts. They’d look a little fuelish if they’d made a big press release or launched a dedicated website.
JB
Latest latest: ConMan Ryan Sparrow sez the Con’s got a contract with Fuelcast and they’re gonna force ‘em to run the ads.
When the Con’s get it in their head they wanna give Big Oil some ad revenue, no ad agency policy is gonna stand in their way.
JB
[...] Stageleft says he has stopped buying gas where there are TV’s. I think I will do the same. Boycott propaganda pumps! [...]