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VANITY: WR Grace Deficit Trials Ad by Ridley Scott
You Tube ^
| Sunday, April 5, 2009
| Rabidralph
Posted on 04/05/2009 8:32:28 AM PDT by rabidralph
Back in '86, W.R. Grace, a multi-national chemical and everything else company, paid Oscar-winning director Ridley Scott to direct a commercial about Grace's concern for rising deficits. The commercial was made, but when WR Grace tried to buy airtime on the networks, they were refused. Isn't it interesting that no one brings up this commercial in the Age of Obama and it's only been seen 3,000 or so times on YouTube?
TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: 1986; 2017; ads; advertisement; bhobudget; bhodeficit; deficit; deficittrials2017; ridleyscott; wrgrace
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Some background of the ad can be seen in this 1986 CBS report with Dan Rather. Enjoy the nostalgia of what networks accept as advertising and what an unmanagable number for a deficit was in 1986. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YOXt--37js
The ad in its entirety: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVzStqf2TT0
To: rabidralph
To: rabidralph
To: rabidralph
Looks like the fix is in doesn’t it!
To: Tijeras_Slim
Brings back some memories, I’m sure. I think there was a longer version of this ad and it might have played in movie theaters before the main feature. I remember the standard apocalyptic scenes of people dressed in rags and digging through dirt to find food, etc.
To: rabidralph
This is the first I’ve seen of it. Thanks.
To: longhorn too
On the one hand, I marvel that this piece has fallen off the radar, otoh, I’m floored by the favorable coverage given to Mr. Grace, even though Dan tried to impugn his reputation by mentioning he gets tax cuts!
To: Tijeras_Slim
You’re welcome. A true masterpiece from a gentler time.
To: rabidralph
Looks to me with some backing Scott has a core of what could be a GREAT movie, be it theactrical or a documentary, well only time will tell.
To: Kartographer
This was made in ‘86. Others have gone well beyond this in such movies as Brazil, 12 Monkeys, TV show Dark Angel and many others, including Scott’s Blade Runner.
To: Kartographer
Looks to me with some backing Scott has a core of what could be a GREAT movie, be it theactrical or a documentary, well only time will tell.
Zero's thought police will be looking for you. Rational thought is against the law.
11
posted on
04/05/2009 8:54:46 AM PDT
by
wjcsux
(Germany, 1933. America, 2009. History repeats itself again.)
To: rabidralph
Call me a naive (among other things), but this story doesn't kind of make sense to me:
- Why would WRG spend its, IOW its shareholder's, money on producing a commercial re: the US deficit? Esp. the higher-than-normal cost of said commercial by having Oscar-winning director Ridley Scott direct it. Commercials are products/justified on the idea of "pushing" the sellers product. In that regard, what did WRG have to gain by a commercial such as this? Out of some sort of community-minded altruism?
- Broadcast stations refused to carry this commercial? We're supposed to believe that all stations across the U.S. were so awash in money and clients that they would afford to turn WRG? For years?
No meaning to pick holes in anybody's coat, but it just seems kind of odd.
12
posted on
04/05/2009 8:55:22 AM PDT
by
yankeedame
("Oh, I can take it but I'd much rather dish it out.")
To: traviskicks; rabscuttle385; djsherin; KoRn
13
posted on
04/05/2009 8:58:37 AM PDT
by
bamahead
(Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
To: yankeedame
I have no idea what their thought process was behind it, they just did it. Are you surprised that a company goes on the record and says what they think? It makes sense that they see what a deficit can do to businesses and in that way, it makes sense. OTOH, the commercial probably cost less than what it takes to buy an ad for the SuperBowl broadcast.
Now, companies hide their motives behind third party organizations and PACs and 517 orgs. Life was different in the '80s.
To: rabidralph
I remember that commercial well. It kind of stuck with me over the years and how prophetic it was.
If I recall correctly, there was a W.R. Grace Commission in the mid 1980’s that took a look at government spending and operations. It came up with recommendations but I don’t believe any were implemented.
15
posted on
04/05/2009 9:55:12 AM PDT
by
aps
To: rabidralph
This needs to be updated and aired continuously for the next four years.
16
posted on
04/05/2009 9:56:09 AM PDT
by
reader25
To: aps
Thanks for your insights. Yes, the commercial stuck with me, too, and I remembered it even more during the porkulus debates. I can’t imagine a company today, taking the government to task over its spending habits.
To: wjcsux
OH DAMN! I forgot to take my red pill this morning or was it the blue one I was to take, which reminds me whats the yellow ones for? Guess I better call Homeland Security before they call me.
To: longhorn too
19
posted on
04/05/2009 10:29:01 AM PDT
by
1010RD
(First Do No Harm)
To: rabidralph
This needs to go viral, fast. We need to spread the word to everyone.
20
posted on
04/05/2009 10:32:58 AM PDT
by
1010RD
(First Do No Harm)
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