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

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

“Canada’s Conservatives. Hardly any worse than the LIberals were, yet.”

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

That’s when I pull the pin, folks. When it begins to look like Turkey around here.

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?

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

Lord Kitcheners Own: 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?).

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.

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.

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.

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?