I can’t find this thing online, so I’m just going to have to describe it to you. This is a 2-page spread in the new New Yorker magazine (July 25, 2011, with the “two brides” cover) for Mastercard’s “Priceless New York” campaign. The picture is of a jubilant kid with a baseball glove holding a baseball and celebrating over supposedly catching it, and the headline reads: “YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE PRICELESS®?” (Notice the ®, which seems to indicate that MasterCard thinks they own the word “Priceless”. Now that’s priceless! It’s also bullsh!t. But they’re probably rich enough to sue anyone else who uses that word from now on and buy the verdict.) And then on the next page, it answers the question with the following response: “: catching a game-winner where no one else has.”
Okay, the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this ad was this:
Yes, a father fell to his death trying to catch a ball for his son at a Texas Rangers game. I know it wasn’t at a Yankees game, but still. This was less than two weeks ago, probably more like one week ago, when they decided to put this particular ad into the magazine. And they didn’t think it would remind people about this? To use a baseball metaphor here, I think somebody in the advertising department seriously dropped the ball there! So now, when I see the MasterCard logo, all I can think of is how insensitive they’re being about that incident that cost a man his life trying to catch a baseball for his young son at a game! I mean, I realize they came up with this idea and shot this ad and everything before that event happened, but once it did, they should have put the brakes on it for a few months. I mean, really!
(And look, I'm not all that politically correct, but this is an ad we're talking about here! They're supposed to be endearing us to their company, and this is having the opposite effect for anyone who knows about that tragic accident. I know I'm guilty of the "too soon" thing sometimes, but if I were writing an ad, I'd be sure not to do it then.)
