Hi,
Thanks for your article about Jeep's anti-hunter ad.
I am a fleet manager for a large company, and we were considering Jeep vs. Ford.
We went with Jeep!!!
We placed an order for 32 of them. Thanks to you, I have the address of the CEO of DaimlerChrysler, and I will tell him that we bought the vehicles because of the ad.
We will encourage our friends and customers to buy Jeeps, too.
Dale
Sportsmen's Voices Heard As Jeep Pulls Anti-Hunting Ad
U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
Formerly the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America
801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH 43229
Ph. 614/888-4868 * Fax 614/888-0326
Web site: www.ussportsmen.org * E-mail: info@ussportsmen.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Doug Jeanneret (614) 888-4868 x 212
January 14, 2002 Beth Ruth (614) 888-4868 x 214
Sportsmen's Voices Heard As Jeep Pulls Anti-Hunting Ad
(Columbus) - The people at Jeep have responded to the calls of sportsmen and stopped running an advertisement that "took a shot" at deer hunters.
Last week, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance sent a call to action for sportsmen across the country about a commercial being run nationally by Jeep that glorified anti-hunters and vilified sportsmen. Sportsmen immediately took action, flooding the company with telephone calls and faxes expressing their displeasure with the ad.
According to a letter received today, these actions prompted the auto manufacturer to cancel the commercial.
"We did not anticipate this story line would evoke such negative emotion among some viewers," stated Jeff Bell, vice president of marketing communications for DaimlerChrysler, Jeep's parent company. "Obviously we underestimated the sensitivity of this issue. [B]ecause this is so emotionally charged, we will no longer continue this campaign."
In the 'Deer Hunter' commercial, a man drives a Jeep through a wooded site with two deer tied on top of the vehicle. As the Jeep drives by, hunters are shown in the woods, in close proximity to each other and the road, admiring the man's deer. The driver of the Jeep then drives to a location that shows a "No Hunting" sign. The Jeep stops, the man gets out and releases the deer that appeared to be dead. The driver tells the deer they are safe and the deer bound away. In the background, other Jeep owners are shown doing the same thing.
"This is concrete proof that the sportsman's voice should not be taken lightly," said Rick Story, vice president of the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance. "When the voices of the millions of sportsmen in this country all speak as one, a great deal can be accomplished."
Sportsmen weren't the only ones objecting to the commercial.
Jay Menuskin, facilitator for Prebul Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep in Chattanooga, Tennessee felt the commercial was offensive to his clients. He called the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance to "apologize for the tasteless ad that did not serve any useful purpose."
DaimlerChrysler is to be congratulated for quickly removing the ad from the air once it began hearing from sportsmen. Although the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance is satisfied with DaimlerChrysler's decision, the fact that the ad even made the airwaves is still cause for concern.
"It is unbelievable that any company competing for customers would take an action that would alienate a huge group of them," said Story. "I would certainly hope that DaimlerChrysler officials get a better handle on how their campaigns will be received before they launch them across America in the future."
The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and rappers nationally in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its web site, www.ussportsmen.org.
