found to be involved in a prostitution ring. It has been played up in local and national news this week, with plenty of column inches and bandwidth dedicated to the subject. Virgin Mobile Canada, though, sees an advertising opportunity. See, the quirk in this story is that Spitzer was referred to as “Client 9.” So Virgin Mobile has slapped up a print ad with a picture of Spitzer, complete with a dialogue bubble reading: “I’m tired of being treated like a number…” Picture and ad copy after the jump.
The copy:
“At Virgin Mobile, you’re more than just a number. When you call us we’ll treat you like a person, not a client. Whether you’re #9 or #900, you’ll get hooked up with someone who’ll finally treat you just how you want to be treated.”
Not exactly in good taste, Virgin. See, this is the problem with marketing. You’re always looking for an edge, a way to speak to customers that no one else is using. Unfortunately, this often causes companies to cross the line. This, I believe, is at least hovering on that line, if it’s not already over it.
You might not feel any sympathy for Mr. Spitzer, and for that I cannot blame you. But he’s clearly in turmoil right now,
weighing resignation. The last thing he needs is a company profiting from his misfortune.
For the sake of not being preachy, I’ll end my rant now. I will say, though, that this isn’t as bad as Best Buy trying to capitalize on Heath Ledger’s death.
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