Folks,

I received this from a well-known organisation and would like to know if anyone finds it offensive:

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Make a purchase at any of the following reward partners between Friday 5th August 2011 and Sunday 4th September 2011 and you will earn double reward points.

If your father is no longer with you, why not celebrate this Father's Day in his memory or take the time to thank other father-figures in your life.
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Because I think it is the most cynical bit of marketing I have seen.

Ta.

Yes I find it offensive . . . blatant consumerism. Have you replied to their e-mail?

Isn't Father's Day? Mother's Day? Secretary's Day? All those other Hallmark moments...

Write back, tell them you will celebrate your father in a better way than buying their product to create even more landfill, and please remove you from their database. (Report them to your email provider as spam too, if you want to adversely affect their ratings.)

I used to have to send out emails promoting Mother's and Father's Day - never liked it, even though I was in effect asking for charity donations it especially hit home after just losing my own Mum. This year the day I pressed the button on the Oz Mother's Day one I realised my teamie sitting next to me had just come back from watching her Mum lose her fight with cancer, and would be getting a copy of the email.

As she said, you have to face it sometime, get the first of everything over and done, but it did make me wonder who else I might be upsetting.

I no longer do that job

What's the organisation?

Yes I would find that very offensive. No doubt some smarmy git thought that would be a good idea. Would totally alienate me, thats for damn sure

Yes, I got that. It is nasty. Not going to use them again.

Don't find it offensive whatsoever - really don't see the problem.

I certainly have, I've told them I won't use them again and I'll publicise this as I see fit.

Good on ya
Not at liberty to say at the moment, sorry.

My thoughts too.

Likewise.

Fair enough, I wanted to sound out the yays and nays on the poll before I took it further

I'm not sure that offensive is the word that I would use, but certainly potentially distressing to a fair number of people. Put it this way, I would not like to have received it, there just seems to be no need for the wording used.

My Dad has been dead a fair few years now so it doesn't upset me as such, I just hate the way they are trying to screw every cent out people in this manner.

How this differs from other blatent marketing ploys is a vague one but I just found that this crossed the line.

I have sent a follow up message (given no response to my last one), it is short and to the point.

I suspect they were going for inclusion of people who no longer have their fathers. As the email is not targeted they probably thought they might upset people who no longer have their father. They have not actually suggested buying anything for dead or substitute fathers.

I think they probably just tripped over a tricky line.

Now, there is an angle my cynical little brain didn't see.

I can now see how that could be the intention.

Just call me Mr Gullible

I'm willing to buy your explanation too now, I can see how trying to be too PC can backfire ....

I know you got it but I was thinking that it's hard to tell with marketeers whether they are being devious or stupid.

On a side note, it did get me thinking whether it's better to be gullible or cynical?