George Bush, simplyaudiobooks.ca
Bush portrayed as poster boy illiterate on Canadian billboards
By Judi McLeod
Tuesday, august 29, 2006
Capitalizing on the Tinseltown initiated notion that U.S. President George W. Bush is stupid seems well on its way to being a Canadian cottage industry.
The website, www.yaleshmale.com of Lakehead University in pastoral Thunder Bay, Ontario, found itself on the Drudge Report yesterday for running a black and white picture of Bush, with the caption: "Graduating from an Ivy League university doesn't necessarily mean you're smart." The picture and caption are part of a marketing scheme to bump up student recruitment.
Bush graduated from Yale in 1968.
But Lakehead's got nothing on simplyaudiobooks.ca, which has saturation coverage on City of Toronto billboards with a picture of a grinning George W. Bush beside the caption: "Don't read enough?"
Lakehead administration claims humour not politics was at
the heart of its marketing stint.
"It was literally a tongue-in-cheek way of getting attention," Frederick Gilbert, president and vice-chancellor of Lakehead University, said on Monday. (Reuters, aug. 28, 2006).
"The young people picked it up that way," he added. "I must say that older generations, well even some of our students, have looked at it as not appropriate."
One of those young people is Isabelle Poniatowski, president of the Lakehead Student Union, who called the marketing campaign low-brow and lacking in class.
"It still strikes me as being very repugnant," Poniatowski said. "Lakehead has so many positive attributes that you could really sell to people that live down south."
Emails to the university complaining about the picture have Gilbert concerned, but the university intends to ride out the public relations storm without removing the posters or taking down the web site.
In portraying Bush as a grinning illiterate, Simplyaudiobooks.ca has ignited a round of approval from bloggers.
"I love it. Bush II as the poster boy for illiteracy. Great ad!" one blogger posted.
"Seeing how that's for a Canadian website they could've used Stephen Harper's picture, but it wouldn't have been as funny. We Canucks just love making fun of Bush," posted another.
although they also operate in the United States and the United Kingdom, Simply audiobooks is running its Bush as poster boy for illiteracy campaign in Canada only.
according to their web site, "Simply audiobooks is a privately held company with offices in Toronto, Canada; Buffalo, NY; Las Vegas, NV; and Manchester, United Kingdom."
Headed by CEO Sean Neville, a nationally ranked figure skater in Canada, and two-time Ontario provincial champion, Simply audiobooks Inc. was officially launched in 2003.
"Rediscover your passion for reading--listen to an audiobook today" is the company's slogan.
"Simply audiobooks saves the price of buying the book or waiting to borrow a copy from the library," says the Toronto Star. "Simply audiobooks has made it easier for people who love to read but just can't find the time."
Simply audiobooks Inc. revolutionized audiobook access by offering unlimited audiobook rentals to both the United States and Canada with free direct-to-door delivery and no due dates or late fees," the company states on its web site.
"We are the largest company to offer consumers rental, sales and downloads; the most comprehensive range of audiobook services. Our members choose from 29,209 unique titles in 30 categories, buying, renting or downloading according to their needs."
Meanwhile, President George W. Bush, the pit of their jokes, would have no need for the company's service.
an avid reader, the president actually reads his books rather than just listening to them.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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