Considering the continued history of discrimination in Virginia I find
your reaction a bit extreme. I love Virginia and the South but I also
understand all of those people who've had no option but to look for a
ticket out.


-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of RLB6
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:53 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: OT: New Quaker Oats ad: "Ticket out of Virginia"

 

I am seeking the assistance of others who love Virginia to make our
voices heard at the Quaker Company.  A new Quaker Oatmeal commercial
features an attractive, older African-American couple who love to bowl
and stay healthy by eating Quaker Oatmeal.  It's a cute ad, but it
inexcusably begins with an insult to the Commonwealth and people of
Virginia.  As they talk about how they met, he jokes that she was just
"looking for a ticket out of Virginia."
Unbelievable.  

 

I first saw the ad on 10/8 and could not believe what I thought I heard.
I saw it again on 10/9, airing during a national morning news program.
That day I sent an e-mail to the company via their on-line complaint
form and left two (as yet unreturned) messages for their publicity
person.  On Thursday I received an e-mail from their complaint office,
stating in part, "We are sorry you were offended by our advertisement.
The reactions and viewpoints of our consumers are very important to us.
Please be assured that your comments will be shared with corporate
management for consideration as future advertisements are planned."  

 

That's it, I thought.  They recognize that the line in the ad is
offensive.
They'll take care of it.  Not so fast.  This morning, a full week after
my complaints, I saw the ad again on one of the national morning news
shows.
Obviously the voice of one offended Virginian is not enough.  

 

Here's how you can help.  Many more voices of people who love Virginia
need to be heard in Chicago.  Below I have listed various e-mails and
phone numbers, along the main mailing address, for Quaker.  Please use
one or all of them to contact Quaker immediately to request that the ad
with the "ticket out of Virginia" line be immediately pulled from the
airwaves and
that line edited out.   Write/call using your own words.  Do not forward
this e-mail.  Brief e-mails are fine, so long as you include your name
and location them so that they know they are hearing from many different
people, both in and out of Virginia.

Quaker, a unit of PepsiCo Beverages & Foods P.O. Box 049003 Chicago, IL
60604-9003
(312) 821-1000

The contact person listed as the publicist for Quaker on their most
recent press releases is: Jamie Stein, 312-821-2017,
[log in to unmask] (Note that there's an underline, not a space
between her first and last names in the address.)

Complaints may also be e-mailed to:
[log in to unmask] 

Thank you for your help. 

 

Sincerely,

Rosanna Bencoach

Richmond