Snapple and hazing, please contact them!!!
 

Please see below and contact Snapple through their website and by phone to get rid of these ads.

Hello to all of you.

My students are pretty upset about this too and asked me what they can do about it. I directed them to the Snapple contact webpage. It is

http://www.snapple.com/index.asp?pageid=4&contentid=4.

I also plan to write to them, as well as stop drinking Snapple products. I am sure they will respond if they get enough mail considering that even if only the 10 percent of estimated fraternity and sorority membership around the world were to write to them about this then they would get about 10-20,000 messages.

With Hank's note in mind, I think this is a battle worth fighting. Some of you will argue "well this is a reality in our organizations". While I may appreciate that argument when it comes to some things, this topic and Snapple's use of the act of hazing is not one that I think we should be "objective" about. It is the same reasoning as the recent Abecrombie and Fitch Asian American insults.

Who sat around an office and thought, "um, this will be funny".


>Forwarded From: Hank Nuwer
>
>
>Snapple and Deutsch: Partners in Slime
>
>Black, Latino and NIC fraternities/sororities have fought inch by
>inch and year by year to stop the practice of paddling where it
>exists in Greek life and to even question if paddles are appropriate
>when placed on sale in campus bookstores.
>
>Now, out-for-the-bucks Snapple and their not-so-creative agency
>Deutsch have a print and billboard poster called "FRAT" depicting
>two bottles with hair and Delta Omega Delta ball caps looking smug
>over a prostate pledge. A broken paddle sits nearby and other
>paddles, all with Greek letters, fill out the picture.
>
>Deutsch thinks the broken paddle is cute. So does Adreview.com
>reviewer Bob Garfield who calls the hair-bottled campaign
>delightful. Bob accurately states that the campaign is aimed at teen
>males, and that worries me no end.
>
>This is precisely the audience most susceptible to thinking that
>paddling and enduring paddling are cool things to do. What better
>way to justify their immature actions then to have Snapple
>characters portray as harmless an activity that is criminal in many
>of the 43 states with hazing laws?
>
>So what's next from good old Deutsch? How about two Snapple bottles
>dressed in tuxes and duct-tape stovepipe hats thrown through a car
>windshield after the Junior Prom? No, that isn't funny. Nor are all
>the bleeding kidneys or lacerated buttocks that get reported each
>year because a handful of Greeks are as brainless as Sample's ad
>team.
>
>And here all these years we thought the advertising industry was
>getting serious when it talked about having an ethical code. Shame
>on ya, Snapple. Shame on ya, Bob Garfield and Adreview.com. Shame on
>Deutsch and the two morons who created the campaign-Scott Bassen and
>David Rosen.
>
>And before a paddling injury or death occurs in a fraternity, I for
>one encourage all of you to call Snapple (1-800-Snapple.
>9 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. EST/EDT).with a request to halt the "FRAT" campaign.
>
>--Hank Nuwer
>image at http://www.hazing.hanknuwer.com

This is crazy. People will do anything to make a buck these days.

http://www.snapple.com/images/5_1024x768.jpg

LOL! That's messed up! :D:eek::rolleyes:

He's even wearing a new member pin.

Thanks TriSigTX...I will forward this info. to my chapter's listserv.

Awesome! It would be great if everyone could do that....pass it on to your listservs. I did to any Sigma one's I knew of. I called and emailed them today.

Thanks for the heads up. I saw sometghing about it on TV this moring. A news show, I think it was local. Dont rememebr tho.


I just called them. They were real nice.

Dude wanted to know if I had heard about from the AFA Listserv. I told him no. He didnt believe me. Then he asked for my affiliation. I gave it to them proudly and told him I was an alum advisor and we would not be drinking any more of their product. He than got my name and phoner number. Said hed pass irt along to the marketing dept.

lifesaver, that's hilarious that he asked you if you heard about it from the AFA Listserv. That's where the message originated from. Glad they were nice, the guy I talked to was very polite, but said something about how they developed this ad because they knew people would relate to it. ugh.

i called as well and forwarded the message.... grrr

I just put this out on the Surfing Sisters listserve...should rile up a number of the 400 DZ's who are members...

I wrote in.


---------

I have always enjoyed drinking Snapple products. However, I have made decision to boycot the purchase of your products. I am shocked and dismayed at what I recently saw.

This morning, I saw one of your ads depicting personified Snapple bottles dressed as fraternity members, beating a "pledge" as he lay on the ground. There is a broken paddle on the ground next to the "pledge."

This is outrageous! Do you realize that this is a depiction of hazing? There are anti-hazing laws in over 40 states. Hazing is a crime.

As a university administrator, I am apalled that Snapple would think to make light of a problem that has caused the deaths of college students across this nation. Educators such as myself have been working to combat the act of hazing and Snapple went and glorified it in the hopes of selling a couple juice drinks to a few young men. Shame on you!

Do you think it would be "funny" if you saw an ad depicting a lynching because the advertiser thought that white men in the south might be able to relate to it?

Would it be "funny" to see an ad depicting someone getting robbed at gunpoint in a convenience store?

No! These two examples are not "funny"....and neither is your ad.

Please retract your pro-hazing ad immediately.

Sincerely,

Kelly ____

I fwd this to the fraternal news listserv. 250 members. Heads of fraternities and sororoities, as well as editors of their magaizines, heads of alum assns and housing corps.

I replied as well.

i wrote them

Thanks to Lifesaver who sent this to me. I passed my thoughts along using one (!) of mu most favorite words, MORONS!

This is not the thing we are trying to present to the novice and civilians if you will of what we represent!

Thanks for the heads up!

I put my .05 woth in!

I sent a comment saying that their ad money would have been better spent showing Greeks needing a cold Snapple after working on their grades or philathropy project.

What would you like to see most on the Snapple website? An apology to fraternities and sororities!!:)

I just wrote in, and sent the link to as many sisters as I could. Grrr.....:mad:

I also wrote them. I am also writing all my sisters and telling them to write as well!!

This is so awesome how this is getting all over the Greek Community all over the world. Keep it up!!! Stupid Snapple, who did they think they were messing with :)

I sent it to my chapter, and it got forwarded to the Greek Listserv here.
H

I called them and left my "comments" with them, as politely worded as I could manage.

Great Job everyone...
 

Keep up the good work..

For many years we have taken a passive, back seat approach to bad publicity. its now time we took the bull by the horns and handle these things head on. There are too many of us to be ignored.

I agree with Mr. Newer in that its morally wrong for them to use an act that is illegal and has resulted in countless deaths as advertising. I dont find it funny. its an insult to those who have lost loved ones due to hazing. Its also an assualt to us who have worked endless hours to change the perception of greeks.

MAD SHAKEY PROPS TO TriSigmaTX for bringing this to our attention, and showing her students that we do have impact and can make a difference...

I visited the site, but not the link directly, just navigated there, Anyway, the text next to the ad is worse:

My college buddies and I used to play a game that looked a lot like this. It’s nice to see youngsters carrying on some of our traditions.

Yick.

Yeah, hazing is a tradition that is worth carrying on. :rolleyes: :mad:

Snappy Snapple
 

i thought it was funny.

This is crazy
 

I say we create our own snapple ad showing the ad guys in jail with real glo members having fun helping out a different charitible organizations. Until people realize that there is on place for hazing in any aspect of life, and that the greek community has so much more to offer then keggers and paddeling, this and movies like Animal House will be the general public's only available information about us. I am proud to be greek, and thankful that I am a TEKE. Thank you to everyone that has called about this. These are our organizations, and as far as I am concerned this ad is nothing short of slander. I know that as a volunteer advisor for my fraternity if I saw anything that remotely resembled what was depicted in the ad, the "stuff" would hit the fan. I am so mad I am going to call them again right now!!!!

GO GREEKS!!!!

Eric

I thought this was interesting, but I couldn't get the link on the GreekPages site to work:

greekpages - delta omega delta

Re: Great Job everyone...
 

FHwku,
Just for a moment replace the two standing with Cops, and the one laying down with lets say Rodney King. I am sure that a lot of people can "relate" to that. But only you would still think that it is "funny." Your thinking is what makes GDIs like the two responsible for the ad creation think that it is ok to depict beating, yes beating on paddleing OK. Just because the instrument of the beating is only a paddle then I guess it is ok. BULL. I seriously hope that you contact your organization's headquarters and look into alternatives for hazing to build a sense of brotherhood. Beating pledges is not funny and not to me condoned. I hope that you open your eyes to this.
Sincerley,
Eric

that crap is wack. another stereotype of greek life, being perpetuated by the media. words are powerful and if we, collectively, threaten to "boycot" snapple, i'm sure the ads will be pulled or at the least, "revised". hit'em where it hurts the most, in the wallet/pocketbook.

It is obvious these people did not do their homework! Isnt there a rule that says that if there is even a mention of a greek organization that you can't copy it and use it elsewhere without written consent??
Has anyone notified this local about the use of their letters? I would be majorly PO'd!!!!!

I too also called and sent the link to my chapter ...

Here is what I wrote in:

---------------------------------------------------------

I am absolutely appalled at your ad which includes Snapple bottles portrayed as fraternity members hazing their pledge. Your marketing team even went as far to add a pledge pin to the 'pledge' bottle, which is even more discouraging; it makes me think that someone who thought up this ad, was even Greek themselves?? I urge you to do your own internal research; I guarantee that someone in your upper management is Greek, and when they REALLY sit down and think about this ad, they will ask for it to be pulled, as it affects so many human beings.....maybe more than you think.

Your company's antics are just another brick set on the back of all members of Greek Letter Organizations. For every one bad thing a Greek does, it takes 100 good things to make up for it, and your ad is of no help. Along side of negative media attention, your Company decided to join the ranks of scum, and portray the Greek society in a negative way too. Thanks for making our jobs that much harder, we really appreciate it.

Next time you decide to do a commercial/ad with fraternity members, try to include countless hours of fund raising and philanthropy, the 'Bike-Across-Florida' campaign by Pi Kappa Phi, the 'Children's Burn Awareness' campaign by Beta Theta Pi, the 'Choose Children' campaign by Alpha Xi Delta, the 'Breast Cancer Awareness' campaign by Zeta Tau Alpha or the 'Ronald McDonald Foundation' sponsored by Alpha Delta Pi. I dare you to research our societies a little more, you may be intrigued by what we REALLY stand for.

Take this statistic; there are millions of living Greeks all over the world, and I hope each and every one of them boycott your company and its products. I know I would rather pick up a Pepsi, Coke or Gatorade rather than a Snapple that I USED to enjoy.

Thank you,

XXXXXXXX
Beta Theta Pi Alumni

They're not listed on UTEP's site anymore so I am assuming they either went national or died out.

Here's my letter...
 

Dear Sir or Madam,

Words cannot begin to express my disgust at one of Snapple's latest ads in which two Snapple bottles are portrayed as fraternity brothers who are paddling a pledge. Not only is the concept absolutely ridiculous, but it is also highly offensive to Greek fraternity and sorority members.

In case Snapple's advertising company has been living under the proverbial rock for the past several years, I think it is important to let you know that the governing bodies of national fraternity and sorority organizations have strictly outlawed any type of hazing -- particularly any actions that could cause physical harm to a Greek member. Greeks have worked so hard to overcome the negative stereotypes that are perpetuated throughout the media, only to be shot down time and again by inaccurate portrayals of Greek life from people who, for the most part, know next to nothing about the ideals that Greek organizations are based upon. It's extremely disheartening, and I am appalled that Snapple would put its name on such a disgusting advertisement.

I suggest that if you want to successfully promote your products using Greek letters that you do so in a positive way. Why don't you show a fraternity member needing an ice cold Snapple beverage after winning a Greek Week sport competition? Or a group of sorority women grabbing Snapples for refreshment after spending a long night walking in a relay race dedicated to raising money for cancer research? These types of events are just a few of the daily activities in which Greeks participate -- and for which they receive very little recognition.

I am just one of the many Greek members who has been angered by your advertisement, and please know that I posted a note on the Delta Zeta alumnae message board today to inform several hundred of my sorority sisters about it. They aren't pleased either, to say the least.

As of now, I am boycotting all Snapple products. I challenge you to remove the offensive ad immediately and make a public apology to Greek fraternity and sorority members for portraying them in such a poor light. If you meet both of those challenges, then I shall consider purchasing Snapple again.

Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Proud Delta Zeta alumna
Former Snapple customer

How many people actually drink snapple anyways? Yeah I forgot about the 231 cases I have in my garage that I buy for me and my friends to enjoy:rolleyes:

Ignoring a negative stereotype doesn't make it go away, and laughing about it only makes it look as if you feel it's okay to promote that stereotype. Only by speaking up and letting your voice be heard will things begin to change.

Snapple needs to be hit in a way that will make its execs sit up and take notice. In this particular instance, the target is the wallet. By boycotting Snapple and letting them know why we're not buying Snapple products, Greeks get our point across. And it's a very valid point.

Quite honestly, I don't find one thing funny about hazing in a commercial. The Snapple advertisement is in extremely poor taste, and, as someone who works in marketing, I find it to be very unprofessional as well. In my line of work, I've seen countless ads pulled because of offensive material. However, this one takes the cake. I don't see how it even made it through market testing. Makes me wonder if they even bothered to conduct market research before launching the campaign. :rolleyes:

I sent e-m and got several replys back from JD or John Strange something!

He said he was greek and I was living in teh past! I need to get with it and update to the real world!

Well needless to say instead of getting into a peeing contest, I erased the e-m!

Greek My ASS!:mad:

Re: Re: Great Job everyone...
 

To Whom It May Concern:
The Snapple ad was funny. I also thought Animal House was funny. To take either of them at more than face value, would be to bog yourself down in ironic semantics.

Also, never again reference my fraternity in any condescending form or fashion, especially hazing, to me or anyone else. Making any such relationship is absurd and risks placing my fraternity in a bad light, nationally and with our own IFC. GDI is not an appropriate term for those persons unaffiliated with Greek Letter Organizations. And no one I know, appreciates the allusion to the Rodney King "incident." To compare the two, is to degrade the former.

It would be time better spent, if all this damned effort was put forth towards something worthwhile to the rest of the world - not a gosh dang Snapple ad.

I genuinely hope you choose your words more carefully, in the future. Words can be powerul tools to piss people off.

With All Sincerety,
T. Yano
junior WKU
FarmHouse Fraternity
pi 01

http://www.students.missouri.edu/~mizzoufh/crest.gif

FHwku:

Why don't you get off your butt and call Snapple and quit bitching here. We are trying to stop the glorifying of hazing and you're just hurting the cause. Who the hell was bashing your fraternity and what the heck are you talking about. Don't take crap personally, but don't complain about those of us that are "do gooders"....have you had a brother die from paddling? Apparently not. Have you had a brother hurt from hazing? End up in the hospital from hazing? Have you been hurt from hazing?

After doing my masters degree thesis on hazing, I cannot believe that anyone Greek would be a proponent of an ad like this. IT IS NOT FUNNY AND NOT SIMPLY AN AD. It is ignorance like you're stating that is hurting our Greek community and your fraternity and my sorority.

Animal House may be lighthearted to some, but I use it as an example in hazing presentations on what NOT to ever do and how you can get arrested for doing so.

Many of us are alluding to other situations so that people like you can see that it's not funny. You apparently didn't think the Rodney King comment was funny, did you????? That's the point! It's not funny to see someone getting paddled.
Why don't you read up on parents of children that have been killed by a paddle or other hazing incidents....is that funny???? No. Read Courtney's Legacy, that's not funny at all. And yes, I'll spend the rest of my life fighting things like this and combatting attitudes like yours.

Your words do piss me off, so as you state, choose them carefully. As you can tell, I'm a little irritated, sorry for the brashness of this post.

INSTEAD OF JOINING IN, LET'S GET RID OF HAZING!!!! Hazing is illegal in 43 states. Paddling is a form of hazing, so paddling is illegal. KEEP CALLING and EMAILING SNAPPLE. Please everyone, please keep this going until we hear that it's removed.

Fraternally,

Snappled by TriSig
 

There were more Snapple ads. I'm sure the Boy Band Snapple ad wasn't found funny by guys performing in a group comprised of males vocalists. I'm sure some girl was raped, impregnated, or both at some unsupervised party, somewhere. The two snapple bottles peeking into the girl's locker room showers wasn't funny to some people affected by a peeping tom invading their privacy. However, all of these scenes are understood by the general public, on an unspoken level, as comedy. As funny situations we've seen in replicated in several movies, despite any "similarities to real life situations and people." You can't force censorship because you are offended. There are no true repercussions to these Snapple ads. I would think that all impressions left on viewers of the ads are negligable, more dependant on their real contacts. Whether or not I have experience with hazing, has no bearing on CENSORSHIP.

http://www.students.missouri.edu/~mizzoufh/crest.gif

Snappled, that's right!
 

First of all, It's Tri Sigma, not Tri Sig.....thanks.

Second of all, YOU ARE SO OFF BASE HERE. The issue we're discussing and trying to combat is hazing, not freedom of speech. If you'd like to go discuss freedom of speech start a new thread. If you'd like to discuss how to reduce negative campaining of Greek life and the reduction of hazing ads in America....then post here in this thread. We're discussing one simple Snapple ad that is detrimental to the future of your fraternity...and any other Greek organization out there. If just one parent saw that ad and decided, "no way, Johnny isn't going to pledge a fraternity", then Snapple has defeated us in a way we could have never predicted.

As you've stated....we all have freedom of speech, and here in this thread we choose to say, "DOWN WITH SNAPPLE". NO, I can't force cencorship, but I can ask Snapple to remove that ad....and so have THOUSANDS of Greeks all over the nation...and non Greeks as well.

p.s. Thanks to ALL of you that have PMed me....I love it! Keep calling and emailing Snapple.

p.s.s. good try

FarmBoy
 

Dear farmboy,

Sorry if you couldn't read between the lines and realize I was talking in a conceptual sense of the ad as how it relates to the Greek community and equating that to any type of "criminal" activity.

For some reason I figured that a junior in college would be able to grasp the analogies I was making. Hazing=Bad. Is that simple enough for you? I am not saying that you haze or that Farmhouse condones hazing, but it is obvious that you don't think that hazing is a problem by your response. TriSigmaTX is right by saying that a mom somewhere could see the ad and when her son asks if he can join XYZ fraternity, she has no frame of reference other than a broken paddle and a pledge lying on the floor.

As an active alumni volunteer for my fraternity I try to emphasize the positive that most Greek members do, rather than the negative things, a few seem to get all the attention. We need to make those few aware of their shortcomings, and instruct them in ways to change their thoughts.

Changing your thoughts and beliefs on hazing is why I posted my original message. Again, not saying you have acted in any way that relates to the ad within your chapter, I don't know you. Your reaction to me is just childish. Once in the real world you will realize even more so how hazing has nothing to do with the fraternal experience that you should be enjoying currently. I hope that people call for the simple fact that the more the general public knows about hazing and the fact that it has nothing to do with fraternities, the better off we will be in the future.

Re: Snappy Snapple
 

I thought it was funny too.
Now only if we ca get this type of dedication and input
on important issues.

Fave snapple flavor: Raspberry

Also, before the hate mails comes
(which I don't care too much for)
everyone has a right to write to Snapple if they want.
That's cool, fight the good fight.
I am simply posting my opinion on this forum,
I have that right also.
Good luck with the letters, I wonder if the people
at Snapple care. It would be nice if they did.
However, they are a business.
The ads will probably run as long as any other ad runs
on the air. I may be wrong.

~end~

You don't see this as a serious issue??? Have you not watched the news? Have you never read anything about hazing? Have you ever heard of a brother or sister of yours dying from hazing???

People have died from the STUPIDEST things and paddling happens to be one of them. So.....tell me this showstopper: if your child (way off if you had them) came home from college and told you that they had some major problems walking and needed to head to the doctor, I'm sure you'd take them. Then the doctor tells you that some major damage had been done to your childs behind/legs and they would never walk again the same....you'd ask questions wouldn't you? And what if you found out that your kid had been paddled, and this was result of that.

Would it be funny then???

Do you have any idea how many men and women have died as a result of paddling? Thinking it's funny makes me think that you may have participated in paddling or you just plain think it's ok. We in the Greek community are trying to combat this and get rid of it. A Snapple ad is not a funny way to do that.

If you want to start a thread about favorite snapple drinks, go do it in the chit chat, not here. Be respectful.