Ballsy Advertising

A lot of companies are hesitant to take a stand on what they consider social or political issues. They feel the best bet is to keep their mouths shut and, by doing so, no one can have too big an issue with them. Not Manhattan Mini Storage!

The New York Sun reports that a new(-ish) billboard by the West Side Highway in Manhattan has the typical Manhattan Mini Storage look and branding. On the left side an image of a hanger in the background with the text “Your Closet Space Is Shrinking As Fast As Her Right To Choose.” An earlier ad of theirs read “Your Closet is Scarier Then Bush’s Agenda.” Wow! Way to take a stand.

Of course folks from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights are saying the sign is highly offensive and insulting (though I am not quite sure how since the New York Sun doesn’t have any details on that), Planned Parenthood loves it. The article claims that “Passers-by had mixed reactions” (of the two they mention one said they thought it to be a little tasteless and the other had no problem with it: not exactly a spectrum of folks with solid opinions).

The comments I found to be most interesting was from the editor of the conservative journal First Things, Joseph Bottum. He said: “Manhattan Mini Storage must have had a pretty good idea that the sign was not going to hurt it. ‘One of the things that has helped American democracy survive is the fact that commercial enterprises have not generally entered the political arena.’

Also it is interesting to note that the building that the advertisement is on is a Manhattan Mini-Storage. No surprise there.

News Week

In a week where the media headlines were dominated by the Virginia Tech Massacre and Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, it’s important to also not some other headlines that should be getting some attention.

The first is the one Adam posted below “Iran Exonerates Six Who Killed in Islam’s Name.” Which ranks #6 in the NY Times most emailed articles (#1 being the all-important “But What if You Get Hit By a Taxi?” about Men’s underwear and #5 being “Bereft of BlackBerrys, the Untethered Make Do” about the 12 hours people had to deal without having email on their BlackBerrys)

The next article just cracks the top 10 most emailed: At #10 “Justices Back Ban on Method of Abortion.” About the Supreme Courts ruling that was released yesterday which will probably play a factor in the 2008 elections, especially with Giuliani supporting the Supreme Courts ruling while Obama has been quoted saying “I strongly disagree with today’s Supreme Court ruling, which dramatically departs from previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women,” Mr. Obama added. Even Justice Ginsburg came out saying that “this way of thinking reflects ancient notions of women’s place in the family and under the Constitution — ideas that have long since been discredited.” and wrote, as the voice of the 4 dissenters, that the decision is “so at odds with our jurisprudence” that it “should not have staying power.”

You can get the list of all the NY Times most emailed articles here