Tim Berney: No Regrets
Tim Berney called me back. First things first. Who paid for these signs? You did. You the readers did. It’s your money. And the Oklahoma Department of Health, using your federal dollars, paid VI Marketing “six figures” to do this 5320 campaign.
Berney knows these signs are illegal in city right-of-ways and parks. About 3,000 of these signs have been placed throughout the state.
His response to them being illegal? Politicians do it every campaign season. And, quote, “If Oklahoma City is to be a major league city, it will see more of this gorilla (my spelling) marketing.” End quote.
Berney does not believe these signs reflect badly on a community’s appearance. He noted the campaign has several corporate partners, including the Deep Fork restaurant group and area Burger Kings.
Berney indicated his firm will consider doing this again for future campaigns, and despite laws against placing such signs in parks, public right-of-way, he called the issue “a gray area.”
For what it’s worth, my inquiries began after I was contacted by a reader who noted these signs surrounded the Oklahoma City Beautiful park sign.
The signs are now gone. Berney did not offer to have them removed. Instead, it was Councilwoman Meg Salyer, who has a history of picking up weeds, trash along Broadway, who had the signs removed from the Broadway park.
VI Marketing shows its other clients downtown have included St. Anthony Hospital, Advanced Academics and deadCENTER Film Festival. The firm has also done work for the Oklahoma Department of Tourism.
If you wish to share your thoughts on this matter, you can do so by emailing Tim at tberney@thevibrand.com.
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Comments
I wish this type of signage (i.e., the cheap, plentiful, easy-to-plunk-down-anywhere-by-anyone kind) had never been invented. The manner in which these signs are used is so disrespectful, so junky and tacky, and–others’ opinions to the contrary–ABSOLUTELY makes our city look awful. No matter what the purpose, it’s just a bad thing. And rules are rules, people. The utter disregard certain persons and entities have for our ordinances is appalling! I don’t care who it is or what they’re advertising, either. If it’s against city code, then everyone should respect that. But clearly they don’t, even when they are aware of it.
There’s a lot of bashing here about this guerilla campaign and Steve, you’re certainly drawing attention to it – after all, that’s your job.
But guess what? That’s what guerilla marketing is meant to do. So, if you think about it, they’re doing a great job. Right?
Are you sure it was federal dollars? I heard it was funded through the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Fund. I could have bad info.
Steve, although I agree that VI should be given a good wrist-slapping, shouldn’t the ultimate responsibility fall to Dr. Terry Cline, the State’s Commissioner of Health?
Also, another question. Who is actually running the web-campaign? Is the Health Dept. doing the tweeting, or is it someone at VI?
Steve, nice job, get a list of more companies represented by this firm, list it here and let people contact them and express their thoughts, this is how change happens.
Here’s another question, if this is a campaign for the ok health improvement plan, why is it partnering with Burger King and a local restaurant chain that serves beer and alcohol and high calorie menu items (I love all the good egg restaurants, but you can’t say they’re low cal).
Why is the health dept paying taxpayer money for such hypocracy? Did the health dept sign off on that particular component of the campaign?
Seriouly, coasters for beer glasses and a tray paper under your triple bacon cheeseburger?
If Burger King is a corporate partner how could this possibly have anything to do with health and well-being?
What the hell!!!? Are you kidding me? Our city suffers from poverty and homelessness, unemployment, schools barely scraping by with poor funding, and lousy roads, but the issue you people spend time talking about is paper signs?
Why don’t you try talking about something that will actually improve OKC in a real way?
Dirk DiGarmo
5320 is the implementation of Obamacare in Oklahoma the theory is that with these improvements the state can save 5,320 lives every year.
Well, at least it wasn’t the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Who knows how many employees would have been laid off to fund this.