Letters

Wrong Turn On behalf of McCann-Erickson and our client Mothers Against Drunk Driving, I offer this response to your review of our "Brutal Truth" TV spot [What's New Portfolio, Nov. 16]. You make a point, but not a valid one. The federal government recently set aside $1 billion over the next five years for a campaign to educate Americans on the dangers of illegal drug use. Yet alcohol--the No. 1 killer and the drug of choice among minors--is absent from the campaign. MADD is anxious to correct that omission. Your contention that alcohol abuse is "less lethal" than the use of illegal drugs is deadly double-talk. Your reaction indicates just how ingrained alcohol is in our culture. And make no mistake: The spot is directed at underage drinkers for whom alcohol is every bit as illegal as drugs, and even more deadly. Gregory Blake Account executive, McCann-Erickson, Dallas Sounding the Alarm Did the print ad developed by Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty [Takes, Oct. 5] strike anyone as homophobic? The copy says, "What's worse? A lethal injection, or spending 40 years with a 300 lb. guy who likes a man in uniform?" It might as well say, "Better dead than sharing living space with a large gay man." Why are we letting homophobic, stereotyping slams like this one slip past under the guise of wordplay? (Surely, creatives can come up with something other than the "scary gay guy" chestnut.) My reaction to this ad goes beyond PC policing. People are being killed because messages such as these perpetuate the belief that death is preferable to living near a gay person. Actively promoting this message is at best irresponsible; at worst, it makes the messenger an accessory to the crime. Suzanne Hoyle Senior copywriter, South Deerfield, Mass. The Demise of Dick Ihave one thing to add to Debra Goldman's column on Miller advertising [The Consumer Republic, Nov. 16]. You are right: The people at Miller obviously don't believe in their product. That's at the root of it all. If they did believe in their product, they would never have let their heart slip away so easily. I am talking about years ago and Miller High Life. They have lost their center. Gerry Schweitzer Senior vice president Grey Advertising, New York For the Record Lockheed Martin's global advertising agency of record is DDB Needham in New York [Adweek, Nov. 30] In Critique [Nov. 16], the famous photo of Georgia O'Keeffe was shot by Alfred Stieglitz, not Edward Steichen In Best Spots [Nov. 16], the executive-creative-director credit for Delta Air Lines was not originally provided by Saatchi & Saatchi; he is Rich Pels. Adweek welcomes letters. Send them to: Letters to the Editor, Adweek, 1515 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10036. Or fax them to: (212) 536-1416. Letters may be edited.

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