Posted on 06/11/2009 2:05:20 AM PDT by SolidWood
Developments and Updates regarding Letterman Advertisers:
First a recommendation for further info:
Hillbuzz updates on Letterman advertisers
FR thread with CBS advertisers contact info
...
First reactions from sponsors:
Some 'minor' sponsors are distancing themselves from Letterman and claim not to be his (direct) sponsors. Ancestry.com has claimed innocence, and Best Western and LiveLock claim to be randomly allocated to Letterman by CBS. They are CBS sponsors however, and their dissociation with Letterman's show might be just to stave off criticism. Those like LiveLock are CBS sponsors who are (probably randomly by CBS) placed with Letterman. So writing them gets the message across.
Hillbuzz thinks that three sponsors should be the focus : M&M, Best Western, Embassy Suites
(I think we should also write the others.)
LiveLock says
At no time has LifeLock ever sponsored David Letterman or any other national CBS talk show. It is possible, however, that depending on where you live that your local station inserted one of our advertisements into an open slot. We have no control what these stations do with the open slot or where the station places our approved advertisement.
We appreciate your email and assure you again, that we have no affiliation with Mr. Lettermans show.
Ancestry.com
From: Ancestry.com Media Relations [mailto:mediarelations@ancestry.com] Thank you for bringing this important matter to our attention. I can confirm to you that Ancestry.com is not an advertiser or sponsor of the CBS Late Show with David Letterman. It is unclear how the companys name ended up on this list, but it appears to be a mistake. I wanted to respond to you personally to clarify the situation.
Thanks,
Public Relations Director
Ancestry.com
...
The first ones are obviously getting uncomfortable with being associated with Letterman. Keep up the pressure! (See above linked FR thread on a list of advertisers. Note post #12 with more of them.)
...
UPDATE via HillBuzz:
Our advice is to focus on three advertisers:
(1) M&M Mars
(2) Best Western
(3)Embassy Suites
Reason: remember when Michael Phelps was caught with his marijuana bong? Kelloggs cereal dropped him like a hot potato because its brand image is child-focused for most of its products. Speedo wont ever drop Phelps, no matter what he does, but we doubt hell ever have his face on a McDonalds happy meal again either.
No candy company will want to be associate with raping 14 year-olds. And hotel companies are ALWAYS terrified of being associated with rape (which, sadly, happens at hotels more than the casual traveler realizes with hotels spending a lot of money in PR to mitigate exposure whenever violent criminal acts like that happen on their premises). Lexus, Capitol One, and the other advertisers might not like being harassed because of their support for Letterman and his misogynistic jokes, but we doubt theyll drop him because his demographics are too enticing.
BUT, a concerted effort directed at M&M Mars, Best Western, and Embassy Suites could be interesting. M&Ms: the candy for people who think rape is super fun!
Stay at Best Western so you can stay up late and watch jokes about rape!
Embassy Suites: the place you go to watch CBS talk about raping 14 year-olds!
Now, those should have brand managers racing for the phone if a focus and spirited effort is directed at hammering them each and every day until their ads stop appearing on Lettermans show and website.
In this economy, a loss of three big advertisers like that will indeed be noticed by CBS.
UPDATE #2:
Some advertisers, such as Best Western, are claiming they do not advertise on Late Night with David Letterman. This is apocryphal: Best Western buys banner ad space on CBS.com, and these ads appear on CBS.com when you click on the David Letterman page on that site. Best Western, Aerosoles, Paramounts new Star Trek movie, and other banner ads pop up on every page of David Lettermans site. This is paid advertising Best Western and these other companies CHOOSE to buy from CBS.
If you are an advertiser upset people who despise rape and refuse to allow Letterman to get away with promoting the rape of minors in New York, then you need to get on the phone to your ad buy account execs and yank your web ads from CBS.com.
No one believes you do not have the power to do this. If Best Western has agents who can post here, then you have agents who can call your advertising firms and stop giving your money to CBS and David Letterman.
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Per Conservatives4Palin comes this information:
Response by local CBS affiliate in Anchorage:
I want to thank you for taking the time to write regarding the recent comments about Sarah Palin and her family on The David Letterman Show. I want to let you know that KTVA does not condone this type of treatment of a minor. While our Governor may be a controversial figure, her minor daughter is not. In my opinion this crosses the line and have registered my complaint with CBS corporate management. While I understand from CBS and David Letterman that there has been some confusion regarding which daughter he was referring to, the responsibility rests with them to make this clear. As the General Manager I regret that this content regarding a minor aired on our station. We are previewing tonight's Letterman Show to see if there is a repeat instance of this content. If there is, we will not air another sexually derogatory reference about a Palin minor. I also encourage our viewers to register their sentiments on this matter. CBS maintains an Audience Services telephone number for these types of issues. That number is 1-212-975-3247. I will also be forwarding every email I receive regarding this matter to CBS.
Regards, Jerry Bever
Jerry Bever Vice President/General Manager KTVA-TV Alaska Broadcasting Company, Inc. Phone: 907-646-2128 Fax: 907-646-2188 Email: jbever@ktva.com
Take his advice. Call CBS at 212-975-3247. Melt their phones.
Also contact:
Write the GOP/RNC to grow some spine and react to these slurs (Chairman@gop.com; Info@gop.com; MemberRelations@gop.com)
Write Glenn Beck and Hannity to cover extensively this issue (Greta does):
glennbeck@foxnews.com
Hannity@foxnews.com
I have also sent a similiar email to Best Western. Since I am in a position to ensure that all corporate travel will not use Best Western and I am networked with several similiar sized organization, I will be able to influence their travel selections.
I hope they are listening
bump
Conan has always been funnier; much more entertaining.
Letterman went Lib; big time. Big mistake. Sad.
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