Gather Launches First Ad Series

T:
This is truly exciting. It seems that every day I connect with new, interesting people. Honestly - sometimes the comments and discussions are really deep, rich, and enlightening - other times they are (how to say it?) - entertaining or inane. Lets all cross our fingers that the campaigns will be a huge hit, and in turn, draw more companies to advertise on Gather to keep this engine running.
Thanks for the update,
w.

they supposed to be black screen/no video before the logo comes up Tom?

high-speed comcast ISP Firefox 1.5.0.6

L.

I admit it, I came because of ads... this looks great. I have a blog but interactive sounds kinda neat. :)

I ask the same question as Lloyd... there is only a black screen until the Gather logo comes on, is that intentional?

Great Question - Yes, the screen is intentionally black. The ads were produced for television and will go live in September. The thought is..... that as people are watching their television, their screen will go dark and they will hear the story being played out. The dark screen should catch their attention and their focus will be on the audio message.

Carl Rosendorf, President of Gather

Quick and to the point. It's so bare and simple it stirs more of an interest to check out the site than most commercials would. Good start.

Interesting concept. It will either bring tons of people here or none at all....

I hope as Gather continues to grow, they'll work on fixing some of the user interface problems. Otherwise, people will sign up, run into a problem, get fed up and leave. Hopefully, the upcoming UI surveys will help. In the meantime, I encourage the Gather UI folks to look to successful sites like Flickr to improve their UI.

Go Gather! it sounds like a great plan to me!

Thanks Carl;
To quote an old Science Fiction story... (Usually)

"You only send that much black to announce the coming of either war or God or both"...

but times change!
break a leg.

They're very good!

I saw nothing but black boxes, empty.

Carl Rosendorf, President of Gather,

I agree with 'Angela C.' You need to fix the problems that your members are having on site, or they won't be members for long. You dropped my wife so that she can't even sign-in. The sign-in window does not recognize any of her information, and the only way to reach you is through 'Outlook Express' which will not work on our computer! So she can only come on gather by way of the new account she made for me. Might I suggest that you provide a way that people could contact you from their own e-mail accounts. That you provide a suggestion form, and that you provide both a edit button on comments and a better way of accessing the pages in comments. Such as a type-in window or progressive numbers accross the top of the page. anything would be better than one page at a time!
Addressing this article I think it is a very good idea!
It will let the world know there are intelligent, thinking people that have real concerns about the world they live in, and they can be found right here here on Gather.com That said If this is successful, and I hope that it is. You had better upgrade your site and make room for them all! Free from all of these frustrating glitches. Or this campaign is for naught.

I'm impressed!!! :))

Very, VERY alluring ads. May this prompt a new wave of Gather growth! It's also good to know that there will be another series of ads that will focus on the arts. It's exciting to see Gather grow so much in such a short time!

Tom, this is a very big move for Gather and a most exciting one! I can't wait to meet more people and exchange views.

The ads have no audio, the screen is black 2/3rds of the way through, then it rips off the Nissan shift thing. I see people (like Cliff above) talking about content, but the buttons above show no content.

Cliff- Thanks for the thoughtful comment.

Every day in America, and across the world, important topics go undiscussed because they make us uncomfortable. We sanitize them with statistics or raise them less frequently because they are hard topics impacting real people.

Our goal wasn't to use "raw, open wounds" to attract Gather members. Rather, we are hoping that dramatizations of conversations and events that affect real people will spur thoughtful, respectful dialog here on Gather on these topics and a wide variety of others.

I am happy to discuss the ads in more detail, but hope you will join in the important conversations on healthcare, the environment, Iraq, and privacy (among others) on the site as well. Our leaders need our guidance more than ever. Your voice, and the conversation here, can help guide the direction in this country and abroad.

silly me, I had audio muted. I hear it now. The Iraq one was very disturbing. I am not a marketing person but I am not sure how well that will work.

Cliff's comment disappeared, but I agree with him. The content of these ads - especially the one on Iraq - are disturbing, and not in a good way. I am very disappointed. I think you will turn more people away than yo will bring to Gather. I hate to say this, because I have always been a fan of Gather - a Gather cheerleader some have even said. This may deter me from wanting to encourage new members to come. I can see the ads bringing about a lot of controvesy and not in favor of Gather.

Rich- Thanks for the note. The dark screen is meant to create cognitive dissonance for viewers. It is what we think is a novel approach in television advertising, catching the viewer offguard by interrupting visual display.

Rich (and Tom), one of the things that attracted me to Gather was the belief that it was a forum in which I would read and write about the uncomfortable topics that people believe we are not supposed to discuss in 'polite' company. I do not believe ignorance is bliss, or if I don't have anything nice to say I should say nothing at all. I believe closing my eyes and mouth (fingers) to those issues only make them more destructive to the world around me.

These ad's suck.
Sorry Tom I know you guys put time and money into them but they suck.
If I said otherwise I would be lying.
Black screen is a good idea but the comments don't fly. You make Gather sound like a place where you can bitch about the world rather than making the world a little brighter with art.
Are you guys making a push in September so you can sell in October?
I agree with Monica's comments.

Weeyow.

Umm, that healthcare ad is, while portraying a slice of Americana that no doubt occurs daily, in my humble opinion, no way to get someone excited about going to your website and joining in with the discussion and debate. It's just plain crass; a fabricated attempt to pluck at the heartstrings. But to someone actually going through it, this ad is like telling dead baby jokes to an Aushwitz survivor.

I'm no Doctor of Spin, but the kids in iraq being rudely interrupted by a bomb as they recount their future plans? Come on! Is Gather really so callous as to use raw, open wounds as an ad campaign to attract members?

Imagine yourself, Tom, sitting in the home of someone who has recently lost a family member in Iraq. This commercial comes on and they turn and look at YOU, Tom Gerace. Does the blood rise to your face? Do you quickly try to dispel the obvious assumptiuon that you were trying to capitalize on the very situation they are in for purely business purposes? Do you hear the hollow sound of your response? "We're just trying to get a debate going, and get people talking!" "Really, we, I, um, Gather doesn't stand to gain a thing from it." "Honest"

Yes, this stuff is topical. yes, people are talking about it, but the approach you're taking is repugnant.

The email sent out to gather members said:

"...we connect the high-quality debate you generate around these issues with their daily impact on our lives."

Where is the high quality debate in these spots?
-=Cliff>

Tom;

I like the ads. I think they are great. But I must admit that I think the first half of the ad needs a picture to go along with the words. Perhaps a still picture. And hey, the Gather website is full of still pictures. How about using a corresponding picture from the website to go with the words? Of course you would have to get the picture publisher's permission to use it, but I really don't think that would be a problem. Members would probably even be willing to publish pictures specifically for you to use in your ads.

The more people who know about Gather, the better. I really like it here, and enjoy it very much. It has become my favorite website. Have even gotten my hubby to join here too.

Thanks for posting again Cliff, so we don't look nuts referring to your comment, LOL. But you said it much better this time. I hope Gather listens.

disappointed in the spots, but moreso in the media placement choices. foxnews & cnn? leaning a bit too far to the right for my taste...

Thanks Cliff for detailing my same issues with the ad's.
Where is the high quality debate?
If you air these ads you will lose more members than you will gain. And what you will gain are those bobble heads that just regurgitate the daily talking points .
Is that what you want Gather to be?

The Iraq one is inflammatory and will offend. I am not against the idea here but I agree with Cliff too that it should be much more upbeat if you want people to come here and LOVE Gather. Its not just the reputation of the Staff but the members too.

Patrick and Monica- I am grateful for your perspective and would be sorry, of course, if the new advertisements make you less likely to invite friends to Gather.

I recognize that the ads may create some feeling of anxiety when they are watched. That is, candidly, why I selected this direction for our first campaign. It is too easy to lose sight of the impact of major governmental decisions on the lives of individual people. We hoped that these dramatizations would serve as reminders that these (and other, similar issues) change lives. They deserve careful reflection and thoughtful debate. And we wanted to invite America to have that conversation here on Gather.

Monica- We will, over time, launch additional outreach that focuses on the lighter side of what we do here on Gather. We will promote the games Gatherers play, the food and wine we enjoy together (Mark's first attempt at Holly's Tomato Tart was a big hit!), and the places we discover. This first series, leading up to the fall elections, were meant to help prepare Gatherers of today and the Gatherers of tomorrow to make good decisions in November.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

I'm with Cliff here...I find the Iraq ad to be in especially poor taste and I would pull it IMMEDIATELY in favor of the other ones.

The thing I don't get is how these ads show the "conversation." The ads portray conversations that would NEVER happen on Gather. They don't make much sense to me, frankly.

But definitely pull the Iraq one. It's not cool.

Tom -if you go forward with the Iraq ad . . . well, don't say I did not warn you. Disasterous in my opinion.

Did you choose Fox News and Cnn because they are different as far as the viewers they attract? I'm a Fox News person, guess that labels me on which side of the aisle I'm on. I like the ads.

And PS: Considering that I am the woman who wrote the infamous "psycho troops" article, the fact that I find the Iraq ad to be extremely offensive is indicative of how it's highly likely to truly piss off the military people out there.

If I find it offensive...well...put it this way...not all publicity is good publicity. You could see a boycott or something else snowball out of control from that Iraq ad PRwise.

great, now people i have invited to join gather are threatening to leave because the spots will be on bill o'reilly's show. i can't even imagine what the thought process was behind supporting him financially (which is what you do when you advertise during his show). this is personally embarrasing for me. tom, please...

I agree with Steph! As a Gather fan, I plead that you pull that ad before it is too late.

I was kind of hoping this was so you could get feedback on whether you think we as members of Gather would like these commercials. We are Gather not just those of you in Boston. I personally do not want my daughter to see and hear the Iraq Commercial. She knows that Mommy is always on Gather. "Wow what was that explosion?"... "Well honey that was a soldier probably being blown to bits in Iraq." I promote Gather all the time, to friends, family, even Church members...and if that commercial goes on air I am going to be embarrassed.

AMEN STEPH. (thats a first ;) kidding) You tell him!

I am Chanting

"We are GATHER!" Don't do this TOM! Pull the Iraq Commercial!

I think this is my first Gather post, but I like these, and thought it'd be an interesting place for me to finally comment. It seems like there's some criticism about these spots being harsh and too negative. But these ads highlight potentially political conversations, and will apparently be shown during political programming. Sounds smart to me. Sometime in the future, maybe Gather will develop spots focusing on music and movies, and play them on MTV and E! But for now, this looks like a shrewd first step. I think the ads are clever and thought-provoking, and it's already interesting to see how people here are reacting to them. Look how much attention this page has gotten already. I do find it fascinating, though, that the reaction to the ad exhibiting the realities of war seems to generally elicit stronger aversions than the ads spotlighting issues with lack of heathcare and privacy.

I saw the ad yesterday, was just going to writ e about It! Way to go

Friends-

Three years ago, the United States invaded Iraq to overturn a repressive regime with a history of human rights abuse.

Since then, more than 2,600 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq. Thousands of others have been wounded. And thousands of Iraqi civilians have been hurt or killed as well.

We should be talking about all of them. We owe them that. We should be talking about our policy today in Iraq. We should be reflecting on our successes and failures there. We should be considering alternative strategies. And we should be doing this every day.

We have, instead, become accustomed to hearing the names of local soldiers on the radio each morning. We are used to hearing of climbing casualty rates. And we have become numb to the political jabs, coming from left and right, that do little to inform or spur thoughtful dialog.

Our advertisement is meant to do just that. I am sorry if our advertisements offend some members of this community. I am sorry if they trouble members of the general public. But remember, what you heard in our advertisements were two actors being interrupted by a sound effect. It pales in comparison to what we should feel each day of this conflict.

So while I am sorry if this particular advertisement causes discomfort, I cannot apologize for it stirring debate. We should feel this issue personally. We should feel a sense of urgency for resolving the situation in Iraq. And we should feel it every day a real life is lost.

Tom, while your concerns about Iraq are noble, exploiting such an issue for your ADVERTISING is not.

I think this one will "blow up" in your face.

And trust me, I am the canary in the room on this. If *I* find it offensive, and think it should not be aired, then you can bet it's going to turn a lot of people off from Gather.

Your advertising is NOT the place to make a political statement about the war.

I find the ad to be extremely insensitive to anyone who has family over there. It is just AWFUL. And I don't care that it's a sound effect. We all hear that sound and then imagine that poor soldier getting blown to bits and not coming home for Christmas.

You want THAT image to be associated with Gather? Because that's the effect of that ad.

I think the ad is horrific. Just because you are not showing the actual soldier being blown up doesn't mean it's not portraying that.

So you can do what you want to do, and keep that ad on the air, and get a whole slew of O'Reilly fans slamming your website with hate mail.

Or you can be smart and maybe hold off on that ad for just a tad, and maybe get more input from the community on it before brazenly showing it all over FOX NEWS.

Whoever your ad people are...yikes...sorry. Bad call all around.

I would think that Gather would find a more diverse group to enrich discussion at NPR or PBS. Watching Fox means I run the risk of seeing O'Reilly, Hannity and Coulter where lengthy exposure could cause permanent brain damage.

Wow - I never thought Martin and I would agree on something. Hmm, maybe this is a bigger group of people than I thought that would feel offended. Food for thought . . .

Barbara et al- we did choose FOX and CNN to try to balance our appeal to the left and the right. We already promote Gather on public radio through a number of partnerships, and through leading publisher and author relationships as well.

This conversation is exactly why I value Gather so much. Such thoughtful and diverse opinion. Frankly, I like the ads. They provoke debate that leads to critical dialogue.

We should be talking about all of them. We owe them that.

Empty Shirts and Cold Hearts I'm hijacking your article, Tom, with an example of the type article I thought Gather was interested in when I came here. I would be very happy if I saw more articles along this line here, and I believe these ads might draw the audience for that.

Tom,
These ads will probably generate interest in the site.
Big Question, " When people vist the site based on seeing these ads, will they have an easy time finding a way to access the types of articles the ads mention ? "
These ads will probably attract people interested in the specific topics mentioned. Will "newbies" be able to easily find what they came to Gather for ( other than the small words at the top left of the page ) ?
Example: If I saw the "healthcare" commercial, and went to Gather's homepage because of it, I'd expect to see a well-defined ( icon maybe ? ) place where I could click on articles about "healthcare
Remember the old rule of advertising. " An ad's job is to get the customer to try the product one time. After that, it is the job of the company to keep the customer coming back."

My concern is that most of these shows have a common demographic/conservative viewership, which does not promote diversity of viewpoint in discussion.

Have you considered advertisements during The Colbert Report or The Daily Show? That would sure even things out.

I don't see the Iraq ad as a political statement. Like it or not, the war is happening, and people are talking about it. And that's what Gather is -- a place to come and "talk."
When I read this initially I wondered why Gather was placing so much emphasis on the war/medicine/immigration etc. (especially since I usually don't write on those subjects), but when thinking of how advertising works, you might initially think one ad should speak about all aspects of something, but then you see more and more ads and get a bigger picture. This is only the beginning -- you can't encompass everything about Gather in one little ad. And as advertisers, you wouldn't want to. I think these ads will make people want to check Gather out, and that's the entire point.

why oh why is there no mention of the "creative/spiritual side(s) of gather? Are they not deemed to be of enough interest or controversy. Short shift. (shaft)

First timer here. Could be the last. I agree with many others that the Iraq ad is insensitive and tasteless. Looking at the stated objective, though, presents the very paradox dividing our country: one knee-jerk reaction to another knee-jerk. First I thought my god, what are you thinking airing these ads to people who only react with "jeez, what typical liberal rot." But now, after reading the responses above, I'm thinking it's about time that "liberals" stopped preaching to themselves and stand up to the right wing and its mind-numbing robot media. Placing those ads on Fox is the right thing for promoting productive dialog. However, inciting rage among the Fox viewership is absolutly counterproductive. There needs to be an invitation to talk about the war in Iraq, not a political statement that only serves to polarize even more. Tom, if you can't change the Iraq ad, you need to drop it.

Tom,
Thank you for you last comment. You are of draft age and you should be concerned about any war we are in. I have served my country and if this gets any worst you might be called to serve to.

You are doing the worst damage to Gather by putting up fictitious situations not based on member writings.
The only thing that this is good for is pumping up the membership to make Gather look good on the auction block. What quality of membership are you after?

I am in advertising and what ever agency designed this campaign for you doesn't understand your product. That becomes obvious if you are using such offensive and unoriginal dialogue and situations.
You have some of the best writing on the planet here at Gather and you are making it up? How sad is that.

I know, agencies bring you in and wine and dine you and make you feel that you are the most creative and important person on the planet. That's their job. That's part of the sale so you will say YES to their idea's.

We all have issues to discuss, that is obvious. What isn't obvious and what should be promoted by someone who understands this product is that this is the training ground for greatness. In poetry or literature or in photography. That is why I signed up. Here I can take a risk. Here I can grow.
I didn't sign up so I could blog the same old crap that is on CNN or Fox News. That stuff is one sided and simplistic.

On Gather I hear the real debate not what Big Brother is dictating on any given day.
I read articles by real republican conservatives and real democratic liberals. Not the fake stuff dished out on TV.

You are missing the boat
I wish you and everyone at Gather the best.
Time will tell who is right about this.

Martin- my apologies. I hadn't meant to characterize the purpose of the war with my initial comment. Debating the grounds for going to war, the success/failure of our policy there, and the best path from here is for the community to do. My goal was simply to call out that we should be having a more active conversation about it.

And while I think it's fair, too, to call out that Gather is a commercial enterprise (we have, I think, been above board on that since our launch), it is not accurate to suggest that we are simply maximizing profits with everything we do.

We are working to build a different kind of community here. We want to encourage a more educational, thoughtful conversation than occurs in most places. We choose that over videos of shirtless teenagers riding skateboards through a sprinker.

Yes, our ads are meant to grow Gather's audience. But we are trying to reach people that care about important issues, want to learn about and discuss them, and want to grow together. There are easier ways to make money, Martin. But few would make me feel as good as supporting this community when I get up each morning.

Tom if you wanted to attack abortion for example... would you have the heart beating sound affect and then a mother saying Yes to termination ... a loud vaccume noise then silence. Come to Gather and lets talk about it.

Use something else for the war if you want to do Political war commercials. Don't act our bombing our soldiers as a promotion to talk about the war on Gather.

While I agree with Jackie's suggestion above, that an ad during the Daily Show or Colbert Report to balance the audience would be nice, I would also like to say that I can't imagine an audience who need a forum with open discussion from both sides more than the FOX news fans.

Hi Patrick- Gather is not on an "auction block." We are focused on growing a lasting company here and have built a strong foundation for doing just that. We will continue to invest in our platform, our community, and our team to make Gather better month after month.

I agree that we have a very talented group of writers here on Gather. I think having members write an advertisement for the company is a great idea.

The challenge is probably not around the message, but rather around having an ad that fits the format, production and time constraints needed for broadcast. Let me see what I can find out for our next rounds of advertisements.

We care about these issues... We care about Gather... That is why we care that it doesn't sound one sided or look bad because it refects US. I am so proud of many of the above comments from fellow Gatherers.... some who have drastically different views than I do but we are agreeing on this. Its time for another meeting of heads with your promotion team. At least say you will review this.

Also a commercial on faith would be nice too. :) I heard ya Perry.

Perry and Pam- I think a commercial on faith would be a great idea. Do you have a script you might suggest? I will raise the general subject with our team.

Pam- I review everything you guys send my way! I can hear how important this is to the community (we have had voices on both sides) and will spend real time on it over the next several days. I appreciate your passion and counsel.

Sandy and Jackie- When we allocated media time, we adjusted spend by program to try to reach a balanced number of republicans and democrats (with a good mix of independents as well). I love the shows you suggested (thought I think Patrick has gone outside our core demo with Aljazeera); we identified others as well.

When making a media buy, however, you want to concentrate your money on a few places to maximize negotiating power so that you can maximize exposure as well. We will diversify our placements in future buys as our themes broaden (to include faith, food, and whatever else Gatherers guide us to).

It's saying a *lot* that Martin and I - both often criticized by military people here - are that offended by the Iraq ad.

You really ought to run it by some military families and see how they feel about it.

Yeah, that Iraq ad is a little bit disturbing and it could be devastating for families who have lost a loved one. I think you should take it out of the lot.

Tom,
" I think Patrick has gone outside our core demo with Aljazeera"

I agree with you that I stepped out too far
That is why I deleted it myself. My comment digresses the discussion.

Tom,

Thus is launched the promise of the "Thought full VOICES of the PEOPLE", effectively interacting with one another on really important issues. What a great way to improve and augment our collective senses of WORLD REALITIES. Multimedia at its best. Congrats!

Dick

Tom - I truly hope you pull the Iraq ad. The others are not nearly as bad, but I really think the Iraq ad is a bad idea. It will cost Gather a lot to run that ad. I keep thinking of the little kids with parents in Iraq seeing that ad, or the spouses and family members. The situation is bad enough already. Why torture people about it? I am even trying to write a better dialog for you to use - FOR FREE. I am sure other Gatherers will offer the same. You can easily replace the existing dialog and keep the same ad. Iraq is a good topic, just handled VERY POORLY!

I've said it a few times today elswhere, I may as well say it here now too...

If Bush's network wants to pay me for spouting off against his crap, I think that is just peachy keen.

And... for the first time since I joined, I'm going to disagree with Martin (sorry Martin) but I like the war ad. It should not be shoved under the rug. People should be irate, outraged, and vocal about it. If that ad ticks off enough people to join and get into discussions about it... well.. maybe that will evenetually turn a few heads and save the life of my son-in-law who is currently serving in Iraq.

Go ahead and tick people off. It's about time someone did.

Well. I can see that the ads could be controversial--or they could be ignored, depending of media reaction. Personally, the acting bits don't reflect what I experience here at Gather and the "Iraq" bit is just as Steph B. and Patrick T. shared, tasteless!
The "Health" bit I listened twice cause I missed that single syllable answer--He wants "Viagra", right?
No pictures?!!! This generation wants images, I want images. And I'm old.

I came to Gather because of a TV spot as well...but I think the Iraq ad is not my personal favorite by any stretch.

(to include faith, food, and whatever else Gatherers guide us to) Satire and free guitar picks included?

Well... if you subscribe to the "all publicity is good publicity...." :-)
Also? I'm super-impressed by the rational, thought-out discussions here. How often do you get so many people together debating such different politics without insult?
Thanks, everyone.

If these ads are running in September, the media buys have probably already gone through, so there's not a whole lot of point making a comment about the current ads.

Future ads, though: I like the black screen. It has potential as a gather ad theme, making the spots instantly recognizable. However, the voiceovers are desperately heavy-handed. I won't speak to the appropriateness of any of them--this is advertising, controversy is half the point--but yikes. Subtlety is key.

Finally, this is an internet-based product. Save your media and production dollars and look into some viral options. Perhaps some sort of contest on YouTube--best homemade commercial for gather or something. Does myspace do television advertising? Nope. Did it catch major buzz online? Oh yeah.

Wow! I'e hd an education just reading all the comments here. It truly shows what a varied audience Gather has, and I hope they don't arbitrarily cancel because they disagree with one of the ads. Give it a try. I think the ads are very dramatic and effective. The impact is sharp and quick and it would make me want to join and find out more.

The ads are not effective:

1 The black void Tom calls "cognitive dissonance" is, I'm afraid, just an excuse by your agency "creative" folks for the apparent void in their imagination.

2. The voiceovers don't work. They get attention, sure, by trying to fill that annoying void, but the words and sound effects are off-putting, clearly. Instead of prepping the listener for an invitation to a great community that discusses LOTS of interesting stuff, the voice instantly reminds the listener how totally f'd up things are, and, with that anything-but-inviting black void staring her/him in the face, how totally powerless he/she is to do anything about it. Talk about confusing the message!!

3. Scare tactics shouldn't be confused with effective mental engagement. If you want to use this *idea* -- "grabbing" new prospective members with some of the topics they are presumably concerned about, you can do it with MUCH more effective ads, and *still* keep your production costs extremely low (as you are obviously trying to do with these).

4. As others have said, your political agenda is totally irrelevant to your business problem of growing the membership.

5. Where, pray tell, is the sense of humor -- other than the laughable notion of a website trying to take itself too seriously?

If I were a typical Blue Stater, my reaction to these ads would be "Oh no! Not another insurance company (or the equivalent) trying to scare the bejeezus outta me right before Election Day! Gimme a break!". Gather would become immediately the LAST place I'd want to "gather".

If I were a typical Red Stater, well, the tone of these ads is threatening and nasty like our hero O'Reilly, true enough, but if I *did* actually turn off my TV garbage mental life-support system long enough to actually figure out how to log in, I'd find a bunch of damned LIBERALS for the most part -- Eeeeeew! Lemme outta here!"

Unlike most, however, I am neither "liberal" or (so-called) "conservative", being sick to death of both these non-rational mobs, so, as a serious American, I would just tune out half of these ads -- the half with the pompous words, that is.

My sympathies with your growth problem, even if I don't agree this is the way to solve it. I understand as well as anyone how controversial images (or the lack of them in this case) can generate debate, but sorry, Tom, the only debate these particular ads will be (is, actually) generating is:

a - Is Gather quite sure of what it is for, in the minds of its users?

b - Why would Gather try to draw in the sort of intellectual white trash that likes cable news channels? Does Gather truly think its community will benefit from the demographic that thinks the most effective form of communication is hate mail? Has some ad agency managed to persuade the Gather execs that cable news people are an effective way to grow the membership? Why, because these angry viewers presumably care about "news"?

c - Advertising for members is great, but why then would Gather adopt a "voice" and tone that (I am confident) most viewers will perceive as being down there on the level of political attack ads? Is Gather switching gears from a forum where ideas and cultural topics are discussed in a positive setting by serious posters to the sort of mindless arena where political, environmental, and economic issues are emotionally shouted at instead of rationally debated? No, of course not! you will say. Well, then, why run ads that strongly suggest the contrary?

d - As an interactive specialist, I have to add this question: why would Gather throw scarce promotional resources at such a questionable channel? Where is the ROI analysis versus a truly innovative online campaign, a campaign that would expose Gather to *precisely* the kind of folks who are desperate to find a truly smart community -- a campaign that would further generate positive WOM?

Membership advertising, more than any other type, has to project the *identity* of the organization, and if this projection is not sincere and verifiable, well, then, you can expect to plant a bad image in the mind of your targeted prospects, one that will punish any future effort you make to draw them back for another look.

These ads do NOT evoke the Gather I joined. Now that may or may not concern you guys. But what *should* concern you IMO is considering the huge potential downside of this sophomoric, insulting, knee jerk-type advertising.

With a membership community, the words of the true Master of Communications apply even more than normal: "To thine own self be true..."

Spettro
---------------------------------
Disclaimer:

I am an advertising and interactive marketing professional and CEO with 4 decades of selling smart stuff to smart people. I am also one of the well-bloodied pioneers of Internet publishing, search, and marketing.

Congratulations! I LIKE the ads. Whether they are perceived as positive or negative, they make the viewer THINK.

Wish I could have seen them but all I saw was that black screen...:(

I'm not offended by the Iraq advertisement. I AM offended by the war. However, when I heard the commercial, I did flash on the old abortion advertisements(maybe they're still around - I don't know). Anyway, they were something similar to the type Pam had mentioned in her comment. The embryo, the heartbeat, the guilt...Those commercials always made me a little angry. However, one of my pet ironies of liberal verses conservative attitudes is that, on one hand, the people most upset about abortion seem to support war, while those who are most upset about the war often support the right to choose abortion. Clearly, these issues are complex and I have no idea how you could express those complexities in a few seconds for a commercial. I don't know if this is the best way to represent Gather but I do believe it would spur me to check out the web site if I wasn't already a member. Like Barbara said, they inspire the viewer to THINK. For whatever reason, this little bit of "in your face" liberal attitude feels satisfying.

Also, I really like what Perry said. More focus on creativity and spirituality in future ads would be great!

How neat .I can't wait to see the first ad on television

I like the idea that you can "be in the dark" or join the discussion on gather and be "in the know". Interesting and provocative.

Tom I will think about that Faith Script and get back to you. :)

It's time

to elevate the art of public discussion

The fade to black is great

life without comment

then life (comment)

I have faith that Gather understands it would not be wise to stick a 'faith' ad in with political ads because the two should remain separate, and because it might be harmful for Gather to appear to represent any one faith, or even the idea that everyone must have faith.

Sandy - I am sure if Gather has faith ads, they would be sold only to appropriate programming geared toward people of faith. Gather does have many groups and articles on the topic of faith, and it would be a wise decision to advertise to those people, just as it would be to advertise to those who like any other popular Gather topic. I do agree that it should be handled in good taste and not reflect as a majority opinion. Gather has members who write about Faith, but Gather is not a Faith based website. Promoting it any differently would be a disadvantage to all involved.

How solemn, yet compelling.

I understand there are groups about faith, and recipes, and freebies, and fake weddings.. all have their place, just not mixed with the political ads is what I'm thinking.

I agree with you Sandy! But somehow I was wanting it. What could be more important than to raise thought about spiritual possibilities?

In my personal life, nothing is more important than knowing myself. In the broader spectrum, nothing is more important than keeping that church/state separation in this climate.

okay . . . here is my suggestion to replace the Iraq ad:

A woman's voice reads a letter: Dear Jack, The kids really miss you. I hear the news every day and pray that soon they will say this war is over. Please come home safely. We need you. I need you.

Then you would end the same way. I think this is still compelling, but not distasteful. It is one suggestion. I may come up with more.

Sandy - the faith ads are a thought for future advertising. I am sure there are no plans to mix them with political ads.

I wasn't so sure where this was going, Monica. I thought it was about the ads in the article and then it turned to something else. And you know me, I want to make sure my silence is never misunderstood. Just wanted a voice in here against religious ads, especially in conjunction with political ads, for the present or the future.

I expect those ads will bring people in, just as intended. Will it bring people who are interested in discussion or those who simply wish to revile those who hold other opinions, though?

I'd like to see ads that speak to writers and artists as well, but those probably won't generate the level of traffic your advertizers are pushing for. I suppose you'll eventually need to decide if you want Gather to be a place where writers and artists can express themselves, or a wasteland of political rants, void of discussion and civility.

That derisive tone towards Fox and CNN viewers is what gives liberals the reputation of being snobs. I am not a fan of those programs, but what kind of a discussion site is this if you can't discuss issues with people who disagree with you? Remember, too, that there is a difference (I think) between Fox viewers and Bill O'Reilly himself. O'Reilly is paid to rail against liberals and promote the agenda of the right in an especially dramatic and nasty way. The viewers, on the other hand, are by and large regular folks that find something appealing about his style and/or content--God knows why. But maybe we'll find out if they decide to join conversations on Gather?

Also, I just have to stick up for Tom on the money-making issue. I've known him a long time and I truly believe the primary goals of the ads are to expand and diversify the membership and create a better site. If that makes money, fine, but I wouldn't call it exploitation just because the ads--and the site--refer to issues that are controversial and the site is a money-making operation.

Tom.......I think this is great....many of the viewer will surely be checking Gather out......Wondering what it is all about....I'll be keeping a watch to see those ads....

People on dialup cannot view the ads on this page at all.

"...I wouldn't call it exploitation just because the ads--and the site--refer to issues that are controversial and the site is a money-making operation."

An ad that simulates the sound of soldiers being blown up just to stir up contoversy and get people to go to a website IS exploitative.

It is also insensitive. It will cause undue pain and trauma not only to soldiers' families, but those soldiers who have already returned and been there.