Interesting method of marketing

[blkcat1028]

I wonder how many people who have gotten so indignant about this promo have actually lived through a hurricane? I grew up in the Southeast and have seen many, many storms. This doesn't offend me at all.

Sometimes, in a stressful situation, humor is the best coping mechanism there is.

Work in the medical field for awhile... you'll be amazed at some of the jokes doctors and nurses come up with.

[flynnjsw]

I wonder how many people who have gotten so indignant about this promo have actually lived through a hurricane? I grew up in the Southeast and have seen many, many storms. This doesn't offend me at all.

Sometimes, in a stressful situation, humor is the best coping mechanism there is.

Work in the medical field for awhile... you'll be amazed at some of the jokes doctors and nurses come up with.

Had a surgeon who loved to play "I will survive" during open hearts.

[Rumbaar]

Whoever thought that was a sensible and sensitive marketing ploy need to re-exam their moral priorities.

Sometimes you do things that are silly, sometimes stupid. But this is the trifecta, silly stupid and incentive.

You can't plan a natural event, and I'd hate to see people killed, injured and Turbine using this as an excuse to market their game.

Next you'll have 'Feel the Earth shake sale' after some earthquake and sell some earth or FoM stuff. Maybe after the major fires in California, etc you can have a sale of Greater Fire Essences or something. Or after some bombing have a sale on Teleportation Wands ...

[R0cksteady]

I have a degree in business Administration and Marketing. I know a decent amount of sleezy tactics. But this is just tasteless. Will these wands protect the people who could lose their lives over this?

[blkcat1028]

Had a surgeon who loved to play "I will survive" during open hearts.

That's awesome! An Ortho surgeon I worked for was a huge Blue Oyster Cult fan... guess what he played in the OR

[AZgreentea]

I've been through hurricanes (I was in Florida for Andrew), tornadoes, fires, floods, drought...

I thought the sale was pretty funny, though I dont understand why they didnt include underwater breathing pots or Sonic resistance. If you are close enough for the lightning, then you are close enough for the thunder, and the main threat from Irene will be the swells.

The difference between this and a 9/11 sale is 9/11 was murder, and natural disasters are an inevitable part of life. There is no place on this planet you can live to escape one.

[Gleep_Wurp]

and the hurricane is not funny here.yup poor taste

[flynnjsw]

and the hurricane is not funny here.yup poor taste

sad

[Buggss]

So, now that at least 8 people have been killed by Hurricane Irene is this tasteless and inappropriate offer going to finally be seen for the farce it is and get removed?

Of course not, cash income is so much more important than those who've died.

[katz]

click the picture for it's source

*shrug*

[mystafyi]

The difference between this and a 9/11 sale is 9/11 was murder, and natural disasters are an inevitable part of life. There is no place on this planet you can live to escape one.

Murder is also an inevitable part of life.... just saying

[katz]

Murder is also an inevitable part of life.... just saying

natural disasters are an inevitable part of life. i've been 1000 feet away from a tornado and felt it shake my truck. i've had to flee a hurricane (Earl). i've felt the hair on my arms stand up from electricity in the air and been temporarily deafened by a nearby lightning strike. i've felt fear when a flood threatened my house. i've shivered in the cold when a freak storm took down at tree the diameter of a dining room table in my backyard, and my power was out for three days in the middle of a New Jersey winter.

it is NOT inevitable that some day i will be murdered. it's possible. but not inevitable.

in the grand scheme of life... someone deciding to have a hurricane party or hurricane sale... meh

[noneill]

Turbine is in Massachusetts, in the path of the Hurricane. I am only a few towns from Turbine now and have friends who live in Westwood near their HQ. It is pretty stormy now but not really too bad, supposed to get worse later. We have been bombarded by the news talking heads for a week, making this out to be the end of the world. Kind of like how they go crazy predicting blizzards now. I think in New England we have a tendency to make light of this stuff, everyone makes jokes because after you prepare, what else can you actually do? The weather will come or not, just hunker down with your family and wait it out.
They always have some kind of promotion out, I would guess this was not designed as some great marketing ploy to cash in on the hurricane but an attempt to be lighthearted in the face of danger. Remember they all live in the path of Irene too.

[varusso]

I have to agree. This promotion is in bad taste. Had a simple tagline been added "x% of all proceeds from these sales will go towards hurricane relief efforts" then the entire perspective would have changed. THEN it would be a clever themed way of collecting money to help out the victims (while getting a little cash themselves), instead of a very VERY bad marketing move. People would flock to such a promotion in droves and thank Turbine for the opportunity to do so.

As-is though, its like one of the marketing execs dared another one, or lost a bet, or smoked something that is illegal in most states. Shame on you you Turbine. Fire the guy who came up with this, as well as the one who approved it.

And now it is of course too late to add that tagline, because it would look like Turbine was trying to mollify the people they offended, rather than making an honest effort to aid those in need.

[Turtlsdown]

So, now that at least 8 people have been killed by Hurricane Irene is this tasteless and inappropriate offer going to finally be seen for the farce it is and get removed?

Of course not, cash income is so much more important than those who've died.

Right, because of course their promotion is responsible for the deaths? How do you even put the two on the same table?

Or how about this: everytime Turbine makes a buck on this promo, it takes money away from the victims of the hurricane, and/or injures a victim, and/or raises prices on supplies for the victims, and/or makes them suffer more, and/or etc etc etc...? What, no? Oh. Hey, maybe this promo isn't as bad as some make it out to be. Do you find it tasteless? That means it probably offended you or hurt your feelings, which can happen on the internet (and in real life) and life goes on.

Break out the chocolate covered bacon and broccoli!!! (might as well continue that from the OTHER thread about this nonsense)

EDIT: Looks like the hurricane is now a tropical storm. Rather than take the easy road and whine on the DDO forums of all places (something pretty easy to do), why not take the harder path and reach into your wallet and donate some real money at www.redcross.org so that the people that actually suffered losses during Irene's fly-by can get useful help.

[Arzoah]

Iit is NOT inevitable that some day i will be murdered. it's possible. but not inevitable.

in the grand scheme of life... someone deciding to have a hurricane party or hurricane sale... meh

The logic isn't there. Completely off subject, but it is inevitable that bullets are shot and natural disasters happen and that people die from them. It is possible that it could be you, but the inevitability versus possibility has no value in the judgement call made by Turbine Representatives. It was poor taste and classless. That is not only inevitable, as it already happened and their shoe is stuck in their mouth. Screenshot for later dialogue.

In the grand scheme of things, a hurricane party -- meh. A publicized corporate entity holding a sale with the verbiage used -- blah (poor taste). I pointed out in the other thread about this that is shut down that they could have spun this differently and made an effective promotional campaign.

However, they are selling junk AND making light of a situation that isn't mostly funny. I pointed out another company publicly apologized (Backcountry) when they submitted an ad that said MOTHER NATURE HATES YOU! (so buy our gear to fight her!) and the same day a myriad of tornadoes ripped the midwest and south apart this past April 2011. They didn't even mean to make light of the situation and apologized. Then you have Turbiine.... doing the complete opposite.

[katz]

i don't *think* i ever said it wasn't in poor taste (if i did, please point it out, i'll edit it). its definitely not the smartest move they could have ever made. but i also don't really think it's worth getting quite so worked up over.

but that's just me i guess

meh

[Myrddinman]

Meh

[Buggss]

Yes, it is what you laugh about that decides how good your sense of morality is, actions are irrelevant.

I'd say it's both but then I'd say that much was obvious.

[Maitland]

Wont someone please,think of the children