Indiana eatery pulls billboards with cult references
39 replies, posted
[img]http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/c1/1c13709cb958a3258797573241487f87.jpeg[/img]
[quote]SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A northern Indiana restaurant that erected billboards referring to the 1978 Jonestown cult massacre in which more than 900 people died has removed the signs following complaints that the signs were offensive.
Jeff Leslie, vice president of sales and marketing at Hacienda, acknowledged that the billboards were a mistake. He said the South Bend-based company ordered the signs removed less than two weeks into Hacienda's new advertising campaign.
"Our role is not to be controversial or even edgy. We want to be noticed -- and there's a difference," Leslie told the South Bend Tribune. "We have a responsibility to (advertise) with care, and that's why we're pulling this ad. We made a mistake and don't want to have a negative image in the community."
The billboards included the statement, "We're like a cult with better Kool-Aid," over a glass containing a mixed drink, as well as the phrase "To die for!"
In November 1978, more than 900 members of Jim Jones' People's Temple drank cyanide-laced, grape-flavored punch in a mass murder and suicide in the group's compound in Guyana.
Patricia Barbera-Brown of South Bend, who lives a few blocks away from one of the billboards, said she was so shocked when she initially read the message that she drove around the block.
"I thought perhaps I had misread the sign," she recalls. "It brought back quite a few horrible images and memories, and the very notion that a local restaurant would trivialize such a worldwide tragedy to simply increase their sales of cocktails is outrageous to me, and it offended me to the core."
She sent an e-mail to Hacienda's executive telling them the billboards weren't "funny at all," calling them "extremely offensive and very irresponsible marketing."
Hacienda executives responded in writing, apologizing for offending her and informing her that the billboards would be taken down.
Like many restaurant companies, Leslie said Hacienda uses billboard advertising to connect with the community and resonate with customers. He said that company leaders look every year at their restaurants, the economy, their customers, and the competition to determine an idea or theme to use for advertising.
As they brainstormed about how people belong to clubs and teams, he said they discussed how an entity can develop a cult following of like-minded people.
"It went the wrong direction, hit a nerve, and we have come to realize we should not have done this billboard. We lose the core message," he said.
Katherine Sredl, assistant professor of marketing at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, agreed that the company's message came across wrong.
"They want people to think there are more things to love there than the food, but it's not the right humor for its clientele," she said.[/quote]
[url]http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110222/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_billboard_flap_jonestown_3[/url]
People really find that offensive?
Wow.
Ridiculous.
marketing genius there
[QUOTE=MR-X;28218927]People really find that offensive?
Wow.
Ridiculous.[/QUOTE]
It's Indiana.
GAWD TOLD ME TO BAN THESE POSTERS BECAUSE SUICIDE AND DEVIANCE FROM THE LORD IS A SIN!!!!
South Bend? I live by there :buddy: It's only a short hour away.
Surprised I didn't hear about this.
[QUOTE=MR-X;28218927]People really find that offensive?
Wow.
Ridiculous.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown[/url]
[QUOTE=Hardpoint Nomad;28218958]It's Indiana.
GAWD TOLD ME TO BAN THESE POSTERS BECAUSE SUICIDE AND DEVIANCE FROM THE LORD IS A SIN!!!![/QUOTE]Only in the country side though. In the more urban areas nobody really cares.
Make semi-offensive billboard, pull it, get free media advertising.
Why would you relate a drink to an incident where 900 people were killed via poisoned drink?
[QUOTE=Badunkadunk;28219126]Why would you relate a drink to an incident where 900 people were killed via poisoned drink?[/QUOTE]
Because its puntastic.
I live in this state, I should go to that restaurant and eat there
[QUOTE=Hardpoint Nomad;28218958]It's Indiana.
GAWD TOLD ME TO BAN THESE POSTERS BECAUSE SUICIDE AND DEVIANCE FROM THE LORD IS A SIN!!!![/QUOTE]
That's deeper south
That drink looks tasty.
Making fun of a bunch of people who killed themselves so they could go to a magic spaceship shouldn't be considered offensive.
There was a lady at the supermarket I used to work at who got mad because a certain cheesecake was advertised as being "sinful"
Idiots everywhere, don't worry folks
Haha, every time I see my state in the news it's for something hilarious like this.
Stay classy, Indiana.
[QUOTE=Badunkadunk;28219126]Why would you relate a drink to an incident where 900 people were killed via poisoned drink?[/QUOTE]
You can't say it relates to that, Its just a stereotype for all cults that they drink the deadly kool-aid. Even family guy did a cult with kool-aid juice.
Its like saying making A-bomb in Japan is offensive but in reality its not, though making A-bombs is bad none the less.
[QUOTE=DELL;28220212]You can't say it relates to that, Its just a stereotype for all cults that they drink the deadly kool-aid. Even family guy did a cult with kool-aid juice.
Its like saying making A-bomb in Japan is offensive but in reality its not, though making A-bombs is bad none the less.[/QUOTE]
Oh damn, I should drop drinking Kool-Aid in honor of those who drank poison. :ohdear:
Nah, I love Kool-Aid.
gotta love Indiana. terre haute represent
[QUOTE=thisispain;28218971][url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown[/url][/QUOTE]
I know all about the peoples temple. But shit, I hardly find this ad offensive. People make jokes about cults all the time. People need to stop being so overly sensitive. I find it funny that facepunch will tell people to stop getting angry of offended by 9/11 jokes but something like this everyone comes to the consensus that it is offensive.
We live in a world where every attempt at real humor is angrily trodden on and thrown down, real nice.
Hahahaha, some friends of mine from tech school used to eat at the Hacienda in Indianapolis all the time. It was actually pretty good.
[quote]Indiana eats pill billboards with cult references[/quote]
I need to read the titles more clearly.
It is a shame that people get offended by billboards. It is just advertisement, and should never be taken seriously. Of course there are probably some advertisements that are just plain wrong, in the sense of "fail" though.
[QUOTE=MR-X;28218927]People really find that offensive?
Wow.
Ridiculous.[/QUOTE]
While I don't feel it was offensive, it was done in bad taste.
We're talking about hundreds of people dying, its not something thats appropriate to joke about.
[img]http://www.thebuzzmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/flavor-aid-2-pack.jpg[/img]
I feel sorry for the company that produces Flavor-Aid, must have really hurt sales.
Why do no cool Indiana stories happen down in the southern part. :saddowns:
[QUOTE=MR-X;28218927]People really find that offensive?
Wow.
Ridiculous.[/QUOTE]
Well, laughing at nine hundred mislead people who comitted suicide at the command of a single man isn't typically seen in good taste.
[QUOTE=Hardpoint Nomad;28218958]It's Indiana.
GAWD TOLD ME TO BAN THESE POSTERS BECAUSE SUICIDE AND DEVIANCE FROM THE LORD IS A SIN!!!![/QUOTE]
You're thinking of the wrong state.
That stuff doesn't really happen very much around here.
[editline]22nd February 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Squarebob;28223927]Why do no cool Indiana stories happen down in the southern part. :saddowns:[/QUOTE]
It's because not much newsworthy stuff happens in this part of the state.
New Albany here.
Eh, they got what they were asking for IMO.
At least Indiana dosn't have corrupt politicians like mine does.
"We are like 9/11 with better Kool-Aid"
that's fuckin hilarious
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