Weak stomach

[MT]

Does anyone else find the advertising banner which uses the picture of one of the towers being hit and people climbing out a bit sick?

:9

[guest]

yeah. I know we're only a bunch of over sensitive seppo BASE jumpers and all but I do think it's a little tasteless.

[guest]

Whats this advertising - i have not seen this.....


&-)

[guest]

There are many tactics one can use to sell a product. Fear can be a very useful tool in selling a product that is for safety.

I don't think this is a tasteless ad so much as maybe a misguided one. Everyone now understands the harsh realities we are facing these days. I don't think anyone needs to be reminded of what can and has happened.

Perhaps instead of selling with fear by using these distressing images, this product should be sold from the stand point of safety instead.

Just a thought.

Peace and Love

M

[guest]

Mick,
When I followed the links, I see you are involved with this nonsense.

Please call me.

Adam

[guest]

I tend to have a pretty sick mind &-) but even I find this ad completely tasteless and inappropriate.

I'm sure the idea of a "building escape" parachute system could be very useful for future safety in highrise buildings, but the fact that these have appeared so quickly on the market after the Sept. 11 tragedy would make me think that not much thought or effort has been put into the design of such systems - which makes it seem that the people selling these systems are much more concerned with making a quick buck than actually trying to help anyone. I sincerely hope that I am wrong, but if I'm not then this is very sad...

Blue Skies Black Death,
Keely

[web]

i agree....and the fact that the banner links back to the BLINC Store leads me to make a plea to:


Mick! this is in POOR TASTE! please pull it!

[imported_mknutson]

Please email me and explain "Sales Rep".

[crwper]

I agree.

For me it just feels like that's not what this board is about, and not what our sport is about. I jump off of stuff because it gives me a taste of freedom.

These banners which read "Prepare yourself for anything" seem to be feeding on fear, which for me is the exact opposite of freedom.

It's funny because I'm usually pretty open about these things, but this one makes me sick, and I can't explain why.

Michael

[guest]

It's odd, I also have one of those sick and twisted minds with the sense of humor to match and am open about stuff like this but the first time i saw this it just felt wierd. It seems appropriate on the news (I don't expect much out of them anyways) but just seems wierd here. From the marketing standpoint I can see the "selling by fear" techniques but I just expect a little more out of this group than what I do from the general public.
Later
Gabe

[gowaylow]

I like the add mick. keep it
It is just a shot of a bunch of want to be BASE jumpers looking over the edge.
They could be alive to day if they had a system like you guys are proposing.


have a go way low day :*

[Tom B]

Following is the sales pitch found at

http://www.blincmagazine.com/store/m...egory_Code=BES

The text is as follows:

Building Escape System

Quantity in Basket: none
Code: BES
Price: $945.00
Shipping Weight: 20.00 pounds




Quantity:

B.E.S. Detail Page.

It is always sad when it takes a tragedy to spur ideas into action. The recent events in our country make it clear that we need an alternate method to escape tall buildings when all the conventional methods have failed.

Henry Boger, and Brian Choppin have combined forces to create a company who's sole purpose is to save lives. We are happy to contribute with the first ever, publicly available building escape system designed specifically for escaping tall structures. The B.E.S. is no larger than a briefcase, durable enough to last for ten years with no service, unaffected by weather, and ready to go at any time. For all those who have asked the question, "is there a way?", the answer is yes. We can provide a system that can be stored anywhere, purchased by anyone, requires no prior knowledge of skydiving, or BASE jumping, and best of all requires no course of instruction to operate. If the moment ever arrives when a person wishes to use their B.E.S. all they need to do is open the sealed container follow the simple emergency instructions, and choose life.

The B.E.S. is available to individuals, companies, and building owners. Quantity discounts are available for companies wishing to install B.E.S. emergency stations with up to 50 units per station.

[guest]

I see where this thread is headed, let's keep it on track.....

The issue is not the practicality or usefulness of this product; in fact god bless capitalism and America.


The issue is what some (including myself) feel to be the extremely poor taste of the link. That's all. Go ahead and market whatever product you want, but please don't use this type of advertising. Even if you think I'm full of @$#^@ on this issue, imagine for a second how it looks, to see an ad for this type of item that uses this tragedy in this way. It makes you LOOK like you're trying to cash in on it, which makes you guys LOOK like friggin assholes. I emphasize "look" 'cause I don't know you guys but you seem serious about your product from the above post. It also makes all BASE jumpers look like friggin assholes too (no denying some of us are tho, you got me there).

Please change this link, Mick.

[guest]

Anyone ever hear of contempt prior to investigation? What exactly is the issue? It seams kind of ironic that a bunch of base jumpers, who run around screaming about a lack of freedom, are the first ones to stand up and yell, "limit freedom".

The natural state of the human animal is to forget that which is traumatic. It’s because of this tendency that we choose this type of banner.

We do not want people to forget, we want those that could benefit from this system to be stirred into action. Those that it really scares are probably the ones that will benefit the most from having one.

An awful lot of effort and time went into the design of this system. Make no mistake; it is not a base rig. It has only one purpose, save the lives of non-base jumpers when all other methods have failed.

It takes a lot of hypocritical gall to bitch about our chosen method of advertising, when our very existence defies the normal persons idea of acceptable. You all sound like a bunch of wuffo's.

Wuffo you use that type of advertising. Wuffo you trying to cash in on that. Wuffo you being a friggin arshole.

Get a grip; it's a legitimate product, using a well thought out advertising campaign that will save lives if people choose to avail themselves of the opportunity.
To bad it’s scary.
Not remembering the gruesome reality is not the way to prevent it from happening again.

That’s third grade stuff.

Remind people about the consequences of being Victims, and then give them the choice to be proactive and live. Let them make the choice with all the reality the situation deserves. It took a law to get people to wear seatbelts.

There is nothing wrong with reminding people that the reality of what happened sucks. I want people to think, “golly, if only that person had, had a parachute”. Yes, if only.

It’s kind of interesting to find myself responding, I do not really expect it to make much of a difference. Base jumpers as a whole are to damn hard to please. Everyone knows best, and everyone is an expert. It is nice though, I get to evaluate my reasons for using this method, and conclude that it is working exactly as designed. May every base rig I jump do the same!

Brian Choppin

[imported_mknutson]

Well I guess I am confused by the "word" "link". Do you mean the banners dipictions? Or the fact that there is a banner at all, the leads to another page?

Please be clear.