Unsuitable Advertisements In The Magazine (Fortean Times)

[Anonymous]

A Tasty Alternative to No UnCon In April!

It kinda might be nice if we had say some adverts for Fortean type destinations cheap holiday accomodation etc even more local like Glastonbury or beyond with maps and article about what to see maybe.

You must mean the: 'Street Meet' Rrose?

It's on the Weekend of the 23rd of April!

Read the Thread linked above and then contact Melf, Or Johnnyboy, for further details.

 

[sasqwatcher]

I once went to a friends house who was watching a faces of death video. I got there just at the part where they were showing JFK's assasination. I admit I found it interesting (though very unsettling). But most of it is a mix of faked stuff and real stuff.

 

[gyrtrash]

I'm surprised that the circulation is only 28 000, I've noticed a huge increase in the number of places selling FT in Manchester.

Surely not?
I really thought it'd be much more! Just my perception of reality too then?

And these ads for 'Nemo' on the website are doing my

HEAD IN!

 

[Anonymous]

I don't get it. How do I cast my vote?

For the record I do find some of the T-shirt slogans offensive. One of them was advertised the other week, which read 'I am a cunt'. I hope you won't bar from the site for saying that seeing that it was printed in your magazine.

The fact is I really enjoy the magazine and so do my young kids. It bothers me badly that they have to see this kind of stuff and ask me what it means and why some half-wit would want to walk around with that printed on their T-shirt.

 

[Cult_of_Mana]

The poll is closed. I think the advertising peeps have said elsewhere on the board that obscene language in the ads won't be allowed again.

 

[Anonymous]

Unwanted Visions Called to Mind!

I once went to a friends house who was watching a faces of death video. I got there just at the part where they were showing JFK's assasination. I admit I found it interesting (though very unsettling). But most of it is a mix of faked stuff and real stuff.

Please, don't tell us that they were all stoned at the time and eating munchies. :cross eye

 

[sasqwatcher]

Re: Unwanted Visions Called to Mind!

Please, don't tell us that they were all stoned at the time and eating munchies. :cross eye

Um.....no.


Im not into that

 

[Stormkhan]

While I found the Adman thread informative and interesting, I'm wondering how much the demographic is being changed by the advertising.

I live near a large newsagents close to a tube station, with a vast selection of magazines. There are always groups of people (mostly teen-young adult) browsing and reading the magazines - much to the irritation of the staff. Now, if some young guy was to see a magazine stuffed with "cool" adverts for things like replica weapons, computer games, drug accessories, would they buy it therefore affecting the demographic?

It may just be snobbery or wishful thinking but I just can't believe the majority of FT readers are interested in the crud that's advertised. I've no real problem with it - after all advertising revenue is a necessary evil - but I'd prefer less cliche, "lads" products.
In Admans thread, I think it's a bloody good idea to suggest other companies to advertise but as was said, some of those might not have the finances to pay for advertising.
So, if you've the money and a crap, anorak-appealing product, you can advertise with ...

 

[Anonymous]

Well it looks like we have no more Faces of Death adverts of late.

We do however, maintain some very dubious full-page adverts for a variety of quite offensive weaponry.

Adman ain't too fussy.

If I am walking down the street, and some **** paints me blue, I'm cancelling my subscription.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Unwanted Visions Called to Mind!

Um.....no.


Im not into that

No offence intended.

Although, I did used to know a young guy who was fascinated by some of the most horrendous and gruesome exploitation guff and video nasties it is possible to imagine.

He'd bought, hired, borrowed, or watched them all. Everything from '10,000 Maniacs', through the 'Ilsa' movies, to 'Nekromantic.'

Nasty stuff. Quite conversely, a more timid, diffident and stoned social worker it would be hard to imagine.

Weird.

 

[sasqwatcher]

Thats ok. I watch horror films. But not really the "shock" stuff. things like dawn of the dead, etc.

 

[milk23]

there have to be ads or the magazine is too costly and there fore disappears up it's own worm hole.Hydroponics as far as I can tell encourages self sufficiency and takes the cash out of organised crimes greasey fingers...faces of death videos ???
Don't buy it if you don't want it.
My personal favourite is the t-shirt ad that always appears.What better initiative booster than that advert.'the voices told me to do it' and other great witticisms like 'I'm with this idiot' all printed one colour with a type face gleaned straight from the start up pack for bored mothers at PC world.I used to make t-shirts myself and got all carried away trying to make a quality item without realising you can throw all that out the window and simply bang stuff out and recieve top dollar for it too.That advert has personally given me a new lease of greed which i intend to use to my advantage.

 

[Leaferne]

I have to be honest: I don't like all the game adverts. They make the mag look like something my teenaged nephews would read. In fact, I've been hiding the latest issue from my BF after he made a comment on it.

I like the idea of travel ads promoting Fortean places. Also, what about quirky local businesses like organic farms, handmade jewelry, etc.?

Other thoughts...

- film/theatre companies, esp. the "fringey" ones
- publishers who specialize in Fortean topics
- local Fortean tourism sites, such as ghost walks or sites like Mystery Hill or the UFO landing pad in St. Paul, AB
- toys, games and puzzles for adults--I'm thinking here of some of the things which used to be advertised in OMNI years ago

I have a couple of friends who run internet-based businesses, but a) I don't think they could afford to advertise in a UK mag and b) they sell cosmetics, skin care, bath products etc. which don't quite seem like a good 'fit' for FT.

Finally, I would just like to say that I really appreciate that someone from the magazine is interested in our input. FT truly is a mag like no other, and I thank you all.

Edited to add: what about classified ads?

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

I'm usually not that bothered about the ads (they keep the price down and all) and most of us are grown ups and all but I do worry this is just a step too far and gives a bad impression:

I haven't got Tourettes, its just that you're a fucking cunt

FT204:43

[edit: And I suppose I also object to others on that page for being seriously crap - examples include:

"It won't suck itself"

"Would you mind if I removed your panties and had a sniff"

I've had a look at their site an they have dozens of T shirts and it would be easy enough to get a representative sample of designs together that would show how offensive and edgy they were without stepping over the line. Of course this way provokes controversy and no publicity is bad publicity for them but still...

So are we going to be getting the following in coming months?:

"Fuck you you fucking fuck"

"I'm a cunt"

"Bite suck fuck"

signed,

Disappointed, Mongo City]

 

[Yithian]

On the bright side, at least the punctuation's correct.

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

On the bright side, at least the punctuation's correct.

I think thats the slogan across the back

 

[escargot]

The poll is closed. I think the advertising peeps have said elsewhere on the board that obscene language in the ads won't be allowed again.

They seem to have a short memory then.

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

The poll is closed. I think the advertising peeps have said elsewhere on the board that obscene language in the ads won't be allowed again.

They seem to have a short memory then.

Its actually better than that - the nice Adman dropped in to discuss things and he is right those dodgy sex line ads are now thankfully a thing of the past but he did say this:

Clearly there are exceptions and occasionally one does slip through the net (most recently the t-shirt ad in 180). I have a working agreement with David as to what is and isn't suitable for FT's broad readership. In any event any ad with the word 'cunt' in it should not appear and the t-shirt ad was a genuine mistake.

www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... 685#319685

[edit: Perhaps the milkman was censoring things? ]

 

[escargot]

Page 43 has the 'Tourette's' shirt.

What is funny, or pathetic, depending on your point of view, is the nekkid woman/devil bottom right, with her breasts blanked out.

So...we can't look at rude pictures but we can read rude words.

A more downmarket version of the old erotica/pornography situation, then. :lol:

Bring back the milkman, I say!

 

[evilsprout]

Three ads for offensive shirts this month! I can't help feeling there must be a huge market for them among Forteans, unfortunately, otherwise they wouldn't have been a mainstay of the mag's advertising for so long, and wouldn't be actually proliferating like this.

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

Three ads for offensive shirts this month! I can't help feeling there must be a huge market for them among Forteans, unfortunately, otherwise they wouldn't have been a mainstay of the mag's advertising for so long, and wouldn't be actually proliferating like this.

I think it has improved - a while back we did have sex lines and gun ads. Granted it could get better but thats why we have this thread to provide feedback (and there is the user survey as the data from that helps advertisers decide if we are a suitable audience).

What gets me is that there are so few book ads and one of the most common denominators is a love of books - I'd imagine we'd be an ideal audience for well targetted book promotions. The movie and computer game ads have certainly expanded and if books did something similar they'd push the T shirts right out (fingers crossed).

 

[Stormkhan]

Ads for books/bookshops would be a marked improvement. The gadget/boys toys adverts are a tad obvious in their target market but if they were concentrated on paranormal investigation gear, such as EMF meters, ion counters etc., then techies and gadget-lovers could be appealed to while conforming to the FT's avowed interest.

Try www.tomsgadgets.com - they advertise in other mags.

 

[escargot]

Yup, the terrible new Paranormal mag has an ad for 'paranormal equipment', and very slick it all looks too.

*orders Ghostbuster Beginner Set*

*with stabilisers*

 

[oll_lewis]

Doctor Who magazine manages to afford it's expensive looking glossy cover with adverts from lots of different comic shops all selling the exact same doctor who wares, I'm sure the same sorts of buisnesses would advertise science fiction wares in ft given the chance.

Anything's got to be better than those crap tshirts companies that sell manufactured rebellion to middle class 12 year olds called Tarquin who think that the working classes will be in awe of them if they ever pluck up the courage to wear the tshirt near a tower block.

 

[giantrobot1]

Doctor Who magazine manages to afford it's expensive looking glossy cover with adverts from lots of different comic shops all selling the exact same doctor who wares, I'm sure the same sorts of buisnesses would advertise science fiction wares in ft given the chance.

Anything's got to be better than those crap tshirts companies that sell manufactured rebellion to middle class 12 year olds called Tarquin who think that the working classes will be in awe of them if they ever pluck up the courage to wear the tshirt near a tower block.

"You laugh because I'm different, I laugh because you're all the same" comes instantly to mind.

How utterly lame.

 

[oll_lewis]

*pictures the scene at the manufacturers of "Sad bastard Tshirts inc" bord meeting at the top ofthe sad bastards tshirts inc tower a massive 140 story skyscraper towering above the skyline of Milton Keens*

Chairman of the board: Our tshirt sales have incressed 200% since we put adverts in that magazine about maths...

Cats paw: You meen the fortean times?

COB: yes, and there was a 200% sales incress.

Lackey: Wow! we sold 2 tshirts!! thats amazing, that brings our total of tshirts sold ever to 3

COB: Indeed, we are on the cusp of greatness here, I can feel it in my bones, we've been going for 5 years and already we've sold 3 tshirts, thats an advarage of nearly 1 a year.

CP: Excellent. Sir, I have an idea for a new tshirt, I belive this design might reach out to the freviosly untapped market of people older than 12.

COB: Fantastic! what's your idea then?

CP: Brace yourself it is very funny.

L: your ideas always are.

*the chairman of the bord and lackey brace themselves using their chairs and the desk*

CP: "Poo"

*the chairman and lackey fall about laughing*

COB: That is without doubt the funniest thing I've ever heard.

CP: thats not all. I was thinking we could write it in big letters.

L: Wow! How Avent garde! that's not just funny but it's also sticking 2 fingers up at the system.

COB: I like it!

L: it could be even funnier though...

CP: Impossible! I was up all night thinking up that fantastic topical gag.

COB: Exactly how can one inprove on such perfection?

L: Well, we could make fun of mental illness in it too, we could add the phrase "yes I have tourettes" underneath the word "poo".

CP: Oh fiddlesticks! why didn't I think of that.

*the chair man falls off his chair laughing*

COB: What is tourettes?

L: I'm not exactly sure but I think I heard of it on a Bernard Manning or Jim Davidson video something to do with people swearing a lot because they have a mental illness.

CP: I wish I had tourettes it sounds really funny.

COB: Good so it's decided, I shall ask the advertising dept to put it pride of place in our next advert in fortean times.

 

[river_styx]

But everyone knows that no swear words exist until you're 13 and stand in the street shouting them at the top of your voice.

Once you get to a certain age, then it becomes classified as a mental disorder.


There isn't much I find offensive in media. Unless it's promoting racism or child molestation type stuff, but those are illegal anyway.

 

[escargot]

There's offensive and there's insulting.

For certain advertisers, offensive is probably good - all publicity is good publicity, kids love to outrage the oldies, etc.

Insulting is always bad though, as the advertiser is paying out big-style to insult people who will never spend any money with them.

I don't give a stuff about the welfare of advertisers who try to sell teeshirts with dirty words on, but if one day they find that they haven't sold enough to justify the price of advertising in the FT any more, they'll go elsewhere.

Far better for the mag to attract advertisers of quality goods, to which the readers will look forward to browsing as part of the overall experience.

It CAN be done.

 

[river_styx]

Surely the first reason why anybody would buy a magazine is for the main content and not what's being advertised?

Especially the readership of something like FT. It's not exactly cheap anymore is it.

 

[Yithian]

I buy it primarily for the adverts. Its a shame there aren't more promoting bestiality and selling cheese-making kits. Or sellng posters of famous dictators. That wud b kewl.