by arthur Weinreb, associate Editor,
May 12, 2004
advertising has gone too far. Major league baseball had announced that ads for the movie Spider-Man 2 would be placed on the bases in major league ballparks from June 11 to 13. For reasons that we will probably never know, home plate was exempt from doubling as advertising space. These plans were later shelved when there was an outpouring of complaints by baseball fans.
Before that announcement was made, Canada Post said that they would release a postage stamp in honour of Home Hardware. The Crown Corporation’s justification was that a stamp had previously been issued to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Canadian Tire. Canada Post seems to have a thing for hardware stores. Few people seemed to notice that the corporation decided to honour the hardware chain shortly after Canada Post was named as one of the Crown Corporations named in adscam. But fraud and corruption are quickly forgotten, especially when it involves the Natural Governing Party so critics of the hardware store stamp weren’t quite as vocal as the baseball purists south of the border. This being Canada, most of the complainers probably apologized for complaining.
Politicians themselves are not above advertising. Toronto Liberal MP Dennis Mills, who was chosen for forced by the prime minister to deal with the contentious issue of Toronto’s waterfront, has plastered posters all over his riding. With his mug taking up one-third of the sign, Mills vows to "save our waterfront". Even though a city by-law requires a permit to post signs on private property, no such permit was obtained by the MP. Permits are not required for election signs but Mills is adamant that these are not election signs but signs to help save Toronto’s waterfront. If that really was the case you would think that the UN-obsessed perennial backbencher would want to erect "save our waterfront" sings all over the world or the country or at least the city but for some strange reason they appear only in his riding of Toronto-Danforth. These posters are nothing more than blatant advertising for Mills who is in a tough race with NDP leader, Jack Layton. The signs have more to do with "saving Dennis’ seat" than they do with "saving our waterfront". But as far as needing a permit goes, Mills being a good Liberal doesn’t need one. If adscam has taught us anything it is that the rules don’t apply to the Liberals.
If things have gone this far, why not go further. Pretty soon the streets will be littered with candidates and others, sporting party buttons and slogans and knocking on doors and appearing on television. Why not have companies pay the politicos to wear logos and other ads for their goods and services. after all--advertising works. Look at all those Quebec ad agencies--for a measly few hundred thousand dollars they put the "Canada" logo in a few places and guess what? Quebec is still in Canada.
One of the better known facts about Paul Martin is that his favourite meal is Kraft Dinner although his biographers are careful to make the point that he doesn’t know how to prepare it. Unlike the poor that eat it because of necessity, the PM eats it because, well, the guy has no class. Now, wouldn’t it be a good idea if Kraft paid Martin to wear Kraft Dinner logos on his clothes during the election campaign? The increase in sales from all the prime-minister wannabes and hangers-on out there would be enough to make it worthwhile for Kraft. It would also ensure that the voters will remember that Paul is extremely cheesy.
There are no end to the products that could be advertised on the backs (as well as the fronts) of candidates. MPs like Reg alcock could charge more because of their girth where little guys like Steven Owen would lose out. But hey--you can’t always have equality, even in socialist Canada.
Candidate advertising would be a welcome concept in light of one of Jean Chrétien’s parting shots--restricting the amounts of political donations that can be made by individuals and corporations so that they taxpayer can have the pleasure of forking over more money for election expenses.
and come to think of it--the Home Hardware logo would look so much better on Reg than it would on a stamp.