We understand and respect that some of the images depicted in the ad are jarring. However, the small data point of people who objected to some of the imagery in the ad does not represent the total viewership. Not even close. We have received an outpouring of support on social media for the ad and its simple, powerful message: All that is past is prologue. Our ad is meant to walk viewers backwards through time, challenging them to reflect on how our collective history and struggles shape who we are as Americans today. We cannot forget our sacrifices or our tragedies even as we celebrate our accomplishments. Colonial Williamsburg does not shy away from these difficult moments in our history because they have made us who we are just as surely as our many triumphs.
A LOOK INTO THE CONVERSATION
The local @colonialwmsburg commercial was the best of the night. I got goosebumps. #SB50
— JT (@ArgoZep) February 8, 2016
@colonialwmsburg is correct 9/11 is part of our history. We cannot erase it. Do you react this way to footage of Pearl Harbor?
— Kimberly Holman (@latrmikibr) February 8, 2016
@colonialwmsburg gets flack for showing WTC imaging; but every year the media shows the same footage on the anniversary. #WeMustRemember
— jennifer (@jennileeci) February 8, 2016
@colonialwmsburg your commercial is PERFECT. Can’t wait to share it with my students!!!!
— Dan Jones (@WoodPgeTurner) February 7, 2016
I am so into @colonialwmsburg‘s Super Bowl ad and its entire existence.
— Jaime Green (@jaimealyse) February 7, 2016
I was one of the first people to give a negative response to the ad after viewing it on line on the CW web-site. I too have been a long time fan (since high school junior class trip in 1966) and albeit a small donor, never more than $300 and usually less. I wonder what really happened as to why they terminated Lance Pedigo. He came up through the ranks and while on his watch the corps was in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. While some of the changes taking place are good, I worry that they will change it so much that the learning of our history will be lost to pure entertainment. Yes, it needs to be entertaining, but not at the cost of abandoning its mission statement. I feel they are on the ragged edge.
Well said!
Now if Colonial Williamsburg’s management would wake up the fact that they’ve effectively alienated a very large demographic (not a “small data point”) and shown themselves by this response to have an arrogant and insensitive attitude in respect to those who were legitimately offended by the use of a moment of murder for crass commercial gains - well, that would be just wonderful. I hate to see the institution to which I owe so much personally served so poorly.
Can we expect the organization’s new administration to take note of the very clear media and public outcry in a positive way and genuinely engage in a dialogue rather than dismissing these voices as a “small data point” - I find it very telling that I can find no evidence of the advertisement on the site of Fire House Agency - the Dallas, Texas-based advertising firm who produced it.
I count myself a true son of my hometown - a dedicated alumnus of the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps, as well as a former Colonial Wiliamsburg Associate. I’ve directed my donations to another institution this year and last as a direct response to what I perceive as a very distressing direction by this new administration. What will it take to get the management team to take note? I’m hopeful that I’ll see some evidence of a dialogue taking place instead of mere dismissal of anything other than a sycophant’s adulation.
An ad doesn’t do its job if you have to explain it or defend it. The foundation called those who complained about the ad “the small data point of people.” That quote showed up in many media outlets, including the Washington Post. Clearly, the people running the foundation’s public relations operation were tone-deaf at best. Sometimes in PR, we have to give up on what we hoped would happen, and recognize the reality.
The foundation’s defensiveness of its own interpretation of history was evident in responses on Twitter to Saturday Night Live cast member Taran Killam, documented onThe Gothamist. Many newspapers in New York reported outrage, and the Roanoke Timeseditorial board even deemed the ad a “fumble.”
An edited version of the foundation’s statement now appears online. Organizers seem determined to paint an “overwhelmingly” positive picture of how the ad was received saying “the outpouring of support on social media sends a powerful message.” This version notes that “YouTube reviews alone are running 10-1 in favor of the ad.”
But the truth was stranger than the fiction the foundation spun about the ad. Twitter erupted in negative comments, captured by USA Today and others. Of the 36 comments I reviewed on the foundation’s Facebook page post right after the Super Bowl, about 12, or a third, were negative. A poll taken by NJ.com found that 55% of those responding said the ad was offensive.
When I saw the ad during the Super Bowl, I thought of the families of those who died. My personal feeling is that 9/11 was a historic event of massive importance to our country, but the image of the tower falling was also the moment when thousands of people died. As such, the image deserves to be treated with sensitivity out of respect for those who died and for their families. There are ways to represent tragedy without showing the moment of death. Surely, if the foundation’ wanted to include 9/11 in the ad, they could have done it with a different image.
Instead of getting a public discussion about history and its role in making America what it is today, the foundation got an albatross. So if you ever stumble into controversy, how do you avoid the tone deaf response the foundation offered? Here’s a few tips:
Tip #1: Think before you speak. Good crisis PR practice is to respond quickly, but if your rapid response is not right, you can make the situation worse. Take the time needed, an hour, 2 hours, 12 hours – to get your response right – in words and in delivery tone. Both must be right.
Tip #2: Talk to real people. The “small data point” quote was surely one of the worst mistakes made by the foundation in its response. The language minimized and belittled the genuinely hurt feelings of those who were offended. A better response would have been to acknowledge the valid concerns of those who protested about the ad. Offer to talk with people and hear their concerns.
Tip #3: Don’t “spin” things as if they are more positive than they really are. The foundation used a talking point saying that the response to the ad on social media was “overwhelmingly” positive. This was untrue, just based on looking at the foundation’s own social media channels. The fact that the foundation kept saying how “positive” the response was, just make it look like the foundation was disingenuously trying to spin the story to its preferred version. Acknowledge the reality of the situation.
Tip #4: Apologize when you hurt people, instead of going on the defensive. If your actions as an organization have seriously hurt people’s feelings, the sky is probably not going to fall if you say sorry. A sincere apology can go a long way to making things better. Saying sorry early on, can go a long way to diffusing a negative story and prevent it from becoming a festering problem.
A cute puppy mascot that conveniently came with an instant product line and his own historically inauthentic skating rink with pop music blaring from loudspeakers is followed by a Super Bowl commercial. Let’s not forget the musicians in 19th and 20th Century garb playing historically inauthentic Irish pub music outside of Chowning’s and the loud and obnoxious Halloween event just introduced last year. That picture of the “Powder Keg” roller coaster over the Governor’s Palace is moving quickly from the category of humor to irony. By itself, “The people like it” would never have passed muster with Messrs. Rockefeller and Godwin as a good reason to do ANYTHING invovling the restored area..
Yes, some increased effort at marketing has been evident. I haven’t seen the ice rink yet, other than some pictures.
I think if it had to be done it may have been cooler to create something that looks natural. They way some built in pools for instance use stone and landscaping to look more like a natural body of water. They could have had an irregular shape, and perhaps a bed of reeds and other wild plants at one end and some other landscaping to make it look like a small pond. Now that could have been passed off as a place colonial folks skated on in the dead of winter for recreation.
I imagine there is a real financial need to try to entice more visitors and notice.
Tracy says
I loved it. It was by far 100% better than the half time show.
If you stand behind your ad, then stand behind it. Tell us why you made the creative decisions you did. Don’t just say “well, our fans on Facebook loved it and so should you”. Either stand up for your actions or apologize.
Colonial Williamsburg thanks each of you for your thoughtful consideration of the ad, and for taking the time to share your thoughts. We respect and appreciate the range of opinions it has elicited, and we are sensitive to the fact that several of the events shown are upsetting. The advertisement depicted a walk back through history intended to underscore the fact that America’s establishment and perseverance through triumph and its tragedy was not inevitable. To exclude difficult moments shown in the ad – among them the Boston Massacre, the Civil War, Vietnam – would have ignored events that tested and, in the end, strengthened us as a country. The nation has persevered due to the character of individuals and to the fundamental ideals forged in the halls, streets and taverns in Williamsburg two and a half centuries ago. With this ad we sought to underscore the undiminished relevance of our nation’s history, and to foster a broader conversation about its complex and ongoing story of which we are all a part. And again, we thank you for your engagement.
The events were upsetting, but that’s not what people are complaining about - not of being “remininded. People are complaining because you used those images for commerical purpoess, and altered them with a gimmicky visual effect - you were coopting these images, after all, to sell tickets or gain donors.
The voiceover was marvelous as far as it went, the concept of getting back to the start not at all terrible. I think those ideas could have been more effectively presented. WIth this platform, to never show anything of CW is perplexing. It wasn’t very original - The concept and effect effect was derivative (it’s been done before) and, negative buzz notwithstanding, may not have made much of a lasting impression.
Sarah, Thank you for putting into words what I think many of us have been trying to say.
Sarah, Additionally, the crass statement that those offended constituted “a small data point” has had severe negative impacts across the national press and made a laughing stock of the Foundation that many of us love with all our heart. It is inexcusable not to address this very rude dismissal of a substantial demographic who will now always remember just how arrogant and/or incompetent the Public Relations response has been. It is a sad thing to see such an august institution so poorly represented by those to whom its legacy has been entrusted.
I liked the commercial. I also understand the feeling that tragedy of unspeakable proportion was used for crass, personal gain. I don’t believe that was the intent, nor that the choice of 9/11 footage was a capricious or insensitive one. History is messy. Slavery and its results became the Civil Rights movement most of us remember, revere and which gave the nation some of the role models and heroes who were present to meet the Ring the Bell Challenge. How many of us would even know who they were if we didn’t have it put before us over and over in both news and sometimes commercial of “questionable taste”. Colonial Williamsburg claims to exist so the Future May Learn from the Past. How do you do that if you can’t start the discussion without looking over your shoulder. In this age of “instant news” our children learn from things like this commercial. More kids can tell you who sells Frosted Flakes than who the first President was. If this makes them ask, wonder, seek out information - good. I can remember not long ago hearing CW accused of portraying “white history” and not acknowledging African-Americans even existed in the city. They heard; programs were altered and created that speak to the African-American presence, Isn’t it better to see an image and have the reaction be “People died there who are loved and missed to this day and are part of us all” and understand that your loss is ours as well than to see the image and hear the reaction,”What’s that? Who cares? Doesn’t have anything to do with me”. To those who think the commercial was only because the area depends on the tourist dollar - yes, it’s important, but there’s so much more in this area. Educational facilities, cultural facilities and museums byeynd CW, industry, defense facilities - you really should come visit. You might be surprised; and if you wouldn’t set foot inCW because of the commercial, that’s ok, too. But don’t deny yourself the opportunity to come here and learn why the area is more than a “small town” trying to look more important than it is or was. Oh, you’ll like the people, too - we’re a friendly group.
In a way the commercial is a matter of “truth in advertising”.
My wife likes to watch “Anne of Green Gables” from time to time. In Prince Edward Island there is a little “village” created for tourist to visit and celebrate the books and movies. It is somewhat Pollyannaish. Not a knock on it. Its jut not a serious place that investigates and reveals the nitty-gritty of history.
Some people visit Colonial Williamsburg for that sort of thing. Which is not a crime. They love the wigmaker, blacksmith, seeing horses pulling carriages and people in costume. Actually, I like those things too. But for my wife and I the real draw are the opportunities to explore and learn about real history. The pleasant and not so pleasant aspects. To wrestle with harder questions. To try to get a bit of feel for those who wrestled with them in “real time”.
To me the genuine, best experience of Williamsburg must include something beyond just a pleasant wall with nostalgic feelings induced by quaint scenery and re-enactors.
I think that it would be pretty easy to have produced a fluffy commercial with quaint scenes around the town. What may have been really shocking then would be for visitors drawn by that suddenly found themselves not just looking at quaint scenery and people dressed up, but were facing re-enactments of the lives of slaves, and people facing life and death questions, and a society that was not always fair and which could be harsh, especially in the treatment of criminals, the mentally ill, and those who were not of the ruling race or religion.
Well said.
Loved the ad! It was great to see my favorite city on the Super Bowl show!!! As a history buff and with a history minor degree, I believe we cannot white wash our past for our comfort level. To omit the 9/11 scene from the ad would be untruthful. Tom Browkaw’s narration perfectly explained each photo. As a nation, we have to study and learn from our past in order to move forward. We have made too many mistakes from ignoring the past. When I watched the ad, it immediately caught my eye! And then I saw the CW logo at the end. Bravo! I hope it continues to air on tv.
I believe that your ad hit the nail on the head. What happened on 9/11 is and will forever be a vital, yet terrible, part our American history. Just as Pearl Harbor, Vietnam, Korea, and Gettysburg, and any other event that portrays the vile things happening, even today. It’s a story of America.
I agree with the commenter from Queens. Like tens of thousands of people still living today, I personally knew a victim of the attacks of September 11.
The footage from the World Trace Center was thoughtless and in poor taste; this blog’s response is inded tone-deaf. I’ve already seen a number of national news stories documenting an outcry when I Googled “Colonial Williamsburg” in order to find this site and post my own complaint.
No one criticizes the wish of a small town to highlight its historical importance and role in something as large as, say the history of the U.S. and our democracy. Indeed, I imagine the local economy, and residents, depend on the attendent tourist dollars.
The decision-makers behind this spot, however, should have stuck to just that. Unfotunately, due to their overreach, they have now become the story.
One wonders if it occurred to them when they secured the inappropriately all-encompassing URL “www.history.org” the personal meaning behind the idea that there are, in fact, other histories-and stories-than their own.
Andrew,
1. Re the WTC - I learned long ago that it is best to face unpleasant situations rather than to ignore them. Closing one’s eyes to something does not make it disappear.
2. Williamsburg is not merely “a small town” wishing to highlight its historical importance. It was the capital of what at the time was the largest colony in British North America and was instrumental, indeed crucial, to the colonies’ move to adopt independence as a goal and to move toward the achievement of that goal.
3. It is indeed a stretch to suggest that CW believes there are no histories other than its own when it secured the URL http://www.history.org. You may want to lighten up a bit. The arrogance and condescension you attribute to CW may in fact be your own.
Mick Giandiletti
Hi Mark,
Your response, like the author of this blog’s, utterly misses the point. Instead of an iota of empathy for the many (remember — national news here, not just me) who were outraged by this spot, you offer an additionally offensive … I don’t even know what to call it — “lesson”? About how one-and presumably me-ought to ostensibly”get-over” 9/11?” As if it were a bad habit to be corrected?
Who do you imagine you are, Sir, to say such things?
Based on the hubris and delusions of grandeur that appear to have re-located Colonial Williamsburg’s collective brain impressively far up its backside…..my guesses on the topic would surely not measure up to reality.
And my apologies, Mick — I got your name wrong in the post above.
Thanks, Andrew. My intention was not to in any way minimize the sense of loss you and some extent all of his experience from the attack on the WTC and I certainly was not suggesting and did not indicate in my post that we should “get over” the WTC. I should have acknowledged your sense of loss in my initial post and regret not having done so.
The WTC attack is part of our history and as such is something we should remember along with other terrible and wonderful things that have happened. My sense is we dishonor the memory of those who perished in the attack in some fashion by avoiding the horrid but yet accurate depiction of what transpired. The horrendous attack is something to be remembered, not forgotten.
I am surprised by what I found to be the hostility to Colonial Williamsburg in your posts which seem to be not solely directed toward the inclusion of the WTC footage in its ad. Have you ever visited CW? It is a wonderful place that, although not perfect, tries to get the history right.
Mick
I truly hope that this message is received by those who are responsible now for the Foundation and its future. I personally have decided to give the same amount that would have gone to maintaining my Colonial Williamsburg Associates donor level (2500) to another institution since the present administration has made it clear that the only thing to which they will respond is money. They certainly care nothing for those who had to watch the moment that their loved ones were murdered played as a cheap emotional ploy to try to draw in visitors. The types of people who would be attracted by this sort of thing - or support the dismissal of those offended as a “small data point” - are, hopefully sufficient in numbers to offset my own contributions disappearing from the Foundation’s coffers.
Any “fan” of CW is a fan of history and will appreciate the sentiment behind showing glimpses of the past. My objection to the ad didn’t have anything to do with the clips shown. My feeling is that if the ad is meant to promote CW and bring more people to visit, it really missed the mark. Certainly, feelings of patriotism were evoked by the images but that wouldn’t bring me to CW.
Jane,
I agree with you, as I’ve written previously on the blog about the ad.
Great ad!!! Stick to your guns, CW. You are right on!
History is what it is. Beautiful - ugly, caring - savage, good - bad, acceptable - non-acceptable. We must remember all of it, not just what we find acceptable. We have become too sensitive to the ugly parts & must be reminded lest we forget. History had a way of repeating itself, particulary when we’re lulled into what’s comfortable.
I believe we can’t consider history without reflecting on the terrible, negative, evil, and sad events and beliefs. All those things are included in who a people are.
If the goal of a media piece is to capture in thirty or sixty seconds some of the essence of the history and culture of our country it would be an error to leave out the hard memories. War, slavery, racism, evil attacks and other things we do not celebrate constitute as much of our journey and who we are now as the things we love to celebrate.
One of the things I have come to appreciate and want Colonial Williamsburg to do is help me explore the hard things along with the aspects of our history that are pleasing to read about and experience almost first-hand there.
Totally agree. We cannot learn from what we ignore.
To be honest I did not care much for the spot but my comments come strictly from a marketing perspective. We will not know the efficacy of the commercial until it can be determined whether or not it helps increase visitors to CW. Increased awareness? I doubt it. The spot was forgettable and that is what made it so disappointing. I get what the creators were trying to do but in the process of tying the present to the past it lost all identity to Colonial Williamsburg.
I give CW props for having the courage to place the spot during the Super Bowl. Go big or go home. If, however, you choose this stage bring your ‘A’ game and this spot was simply not that good.
You remain tone deaf to context. Visitors to your social media channels and YouTube channels are people planning history related vacations or are history enthusiasts, and they are probably viewing it alone on a small screen. You projected the image of the moment of death for thousands onto giant screens in the homes of people who lost loved ones at the visualized moment as they gathered around party snacks to enjoy the halftime show. You used their loss as a way to attempt to drive up revenue and increase your profits. It’s incredibly crass and “our fans liked it” is a very poor defense. You must consider the viewpoints of those with other experiences than your own. If you cannot, what kind of historians are you?
“Tone-deaf”, indeed. A marketing director wth any sense would have focus-tested this very expensive ad with a group of people from the targeted ad markets involved. They would have heard the kinds of reactions that have been expressed here and online: that the use of the 9-11 imagery was insensitive and inappropriate. In response, I have seen many defenders of CW’s marketing effort say, in so many words, “lighten up, Buttercup; its history and you just need to get over it.” That’s real salesmanship, right there!
It’s my opinion that the current administration of Colonial Williamsburg is either too arrogant, too incompetent or more likely both to ever admit that the advertisement was a failure. The national press has noted its failings and it can be assumed that it is a conscious decision to “stick to their guns” - offending those traumatized by the event and then dismissing them as a “small data point” - enough time has passed to make it clear that this is a “Strategy” - one which will likely damage the reputation of an august institution for some time in the future. I am personally saddened by this since I love that institution and have given a substantial part of my life and my treasure to it - but that’s now over, as it is for many others, I expect.
I am among those who are disappointed with your inclusion of the 9/11 footage. The problem with that footage, along with your D-Day footage, and some of the other pieces, is that you are using footage that captured the exact moment when people died. If only we could have rolled back time to have stopped their deaths. I found many of the images you used powerful and moving. I just wish you had been more thoughtful in all your selections.