Much Ado About Something

Most everyone knows about Skechers’ plan (you know, the clunky/chunky shoe people) to air a new commercial to air at prime time during the 2-minute warning of the first half of the Super Bowl.

Having seen the price of commercial “real estate”, this is costing them a pretty bundle.  So why did they ever think to throw some clunky shoes on a bulldog, pit the little dog against greyhounds at one of the nation’s worst tracks? 

Skechers and their advertising agency made a bad decision.  A costly decision for them.  Tuscon Greyhound Park has a very bad reputation.  Yet, Skechers and their advertising agency chose this.

In doing so, they, indirectly, attempt to bring back a heyday that existed in the 1960s.  A heyday of racing dogs.  Long gone.

A bad decision.  Racing is increasingly on the decline in public opinion.  Most track owners in Florida support a bill to decouple.  It is no longer popular, and people are becoming more educated about what happens at the track.  It is approaching a "reviled status" by the mainstream.

Skechers has made a very bad decision.  There is no glamour or allure in seeing dogs run around a track.  Perhaps if Skechers had done a little more research into the racing industry, particularly TGP, they would have chosen a different marketing ploy.  The injuries suffered, many not reported.  The unaccounted for dogs.  There are a lot of shadows and murkiness in the racing industry.  Yet Skechers chose this..  

National media coverage of the outrage over filming at a track known for deplorable conditions.  KOLD in Tucson, USAToday, MediaPost, FoxSports Houston, KGUN9 Arizona, um.  Shall I go on?

Bad decision.  Highlighted by boycotts of Skechers’ stores around the country, of numerous petitions and a vocal email campaign (guilty as charged!).

Bad decision for them.  If it airs, they will lose a following (whoever they are).  But they will gain infamy as a company who has no care for the welfare of animals by virtue of even airing racing greyhounds.

Oh, that’s right.  It was meant to be amusing and humorous.  I guess how humorous depends on how this plays out.  Right now, there are over 90,000 signatures on a petition requesting the ad be pulled.

Bad decision, Skechers peeps.  Try to look a bit deeper.  And find one that did not involve the exploitation of greyhounds.  Racing greyhounds puts them at risk of injury and casual euthanasia.  All for man’s greed.  It is not remotely humorous.

Tell me that sad little one in the cage is chuckling at the humor...

Shame on Skechers.  And boycott them.