Illusione and Rev. Jim Jones

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Slow Triathlete

Also, with all this talk about the end of the world and mass killings makes me kind of hesitant about smoking his cigars. Who know's what might be in there.

This is exactly what it made me think about. Doesn't make me want to go out and buy his cigars even though I have had and enjoyed them in the past. Pretty disturbing to try and sell a consumable product by relating it to cyanide laced cool-aid.

[taltos]

I agree with the majority that this advertising is wrong and would not cause me to buy his products. That thing about 2012 and the end of the world is from a prediction by the Mayan civilization where they gave a date in 2012 when the world would reorder itself and the world would end as we know it. I would be curious if he wears blue polo shirts, chinos and nike shoes when he is not making appearances. Too bad that he missed the first space ship.

[Kaisersozei]

Dion's a CS member here, maybe he'll chime in at some point...

I like the Illusione 68 & 888. Haven't tried the cg4. I think they are excellent cigars. The ad campaign doesn't upset me too much--but I'm not easily offended. I can see how some people might be.

I'd be more concerned if I discovered that his revenues were going to support terrorism or some wacked-out environmental agenda, or something else that I was morally opposed to. This is just his creative expression and it's no big deal if I don't agree with his creative process in advertising...

[CigarGal]

Originally Posted by shilala

I'm far more likely to try a cigar that's aligned with boobs and football rather than evil, tragedy, and poison.
I guess I'm just weird like that. *shrug*

This is what marketing is all about. His quirkiness and "edgy" approach will only appeal to a small number of the population and anyone in business knows marketing is key to financial success. I am not passing judgement on his beliefs, I am probably just as weird in some areas as the next guy, and I haven't smoked his cigars-I have one in the humi to smoke some day-but his marketing strategy based on a horrific world event is just wrong-no matter how hip you want to be.

On the other hand, does the marketing approach of boobs and football go together? Or is the use of either one what appeals to you? Now I like them both, but I don't see the connection between the two.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by Kaisersozei

Dion's a CS member here, maybe he'll chime in at some point...

I like the Illusione 68 & 888. Haven't tried the cg4. I think they are excellent cigars. The ad campaign doesn't upset me too much--but I'm not easily offended. I can see how some people might be.

I'd be more concerned if I discovered that his revenues were going to support terrorism or some wacked-out environmental agenda, or something else that I was morally opposed to. This is just his creative expression and it's no big deal if I don't agree with his creative process in advertising...

Would that change if he was using the 9/11 tragedy or pedophilia (just to name a couple)?

[nozero]

Hmmmph! IMO it's his choice to advertise how he sees fit and he will be the one to suffer any resultant consequences. It's far more likely that the cost of his cigars would prevent me from purchasing them than would his advertising ploy.

[butterbeezy]

I wasn't around for Jim Jones and his insanity, but as a San Franciscan, i am very aware of him. I think it's horrible that he's using him as a marketing ploy. He might as well use Bin Laden, Charles Manson or The Trench Coat Mafia in his ads as well. Seeing this turns me off to his smokes.

[Gophernut]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

For the record, I was alive and tuned into world events when that ashant did the koolaid trip. There is nothing good about the event that makes it worthy of use as a positive marketing strategy. It was and still is a SAD, SICK commentary on the depths some will go to in the name of religion and self glory. Jim Jones is as much an example of a false prophet then as the muij are today.

I was too, although young at the time, and I can't see why anyone would want to align themselves with this horrible situation. Jim Jones had people, including a US Congressman, murdered. Then he basically had the witnesses kill themselves!
I have recently smoked my first Illusione. It will be my last.

[Costa]

Off topic, but man, have we become a society of over-sensitive politically correct social police. In some arena's, the job of marketing is to get your brand "out there". These are cigars people, not baby food. After the product gets "out there", its then the job of the product to seal the deal, i.e. be good enough for to create brand loyalty and return customers/sales. The guy is out there, but to insuniate that there could be "something in his cigars" based on his beliefs, even in joking, is a little, um, a foolish (being nice here).

Smoke 'em if you like 'em, if you don't like 'em, buy something else.

[Fumioso]

Maybe I was the only one who saw some humor in the SOLD OUT signs tacked on to the Jim Jones pics... Sick, yes, I know.

Dion HAS to know that this marketing "strategy" will repulse and repel people from his product. Clearly, he doesn't care.

It doesn't even qualify as commentary on Jim Jones -- what the hell does it mean? What did it mean last year when he used the Vatican flag to dress up his booth? It just doesn't make any sense... but it does get attention.

[pro2625]

Originally Posted by Costa

Off topic, but man, have we become a society of over-sensitive politically correct social police. In some arena's, the job of marketing is to get your brand "out there". These are cigars people, not baby food. After the product gets "out there", its then the job of the product to seal the deal, i.e. be good enough for to create brand loyalty and return customers/sales. The guy is out there, but to insuniate that there could be "something in his cigars" based on his beliefs, even in joking, is a little, um, a foolish (being nice here).

Smoke 'em if you like 'em, if you don't like 'em, buy something else.

I wont come to your funeral

[Kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by pnoon

Would that change if he was using the 9/11 tragedy or pedophilia (just to name a couple)?

Would I consider 9/11 or pedophila to be tasteless topics for an ad? Since we're talking hypothetically, then hypothetically "yes."

Would it change how I felt about his cigars? No. I'm smoking a cigar, not an ad. "Image" advertising like that has absolutely no impact on my decision to buy one of his cigars. I don't get the ad campaign, I'm not sure what Jonestown has to do with cigars, so I'm obviously not one of his "edgy" customers. But based on the quality of the Illusione cigars I've had, I'd probably sample one of those Jonestown numbers, too.

Let's take the reverse angle on this--and something less....controversial: those United Airlines ads that ran during the Olympics. They were beautiful, visually stunning, exceptionally artistic ads. I enjoyed watching them. What did they have to do with flying United? Nothing. Did they make me want to go out and buy a ticket on United? No, because of my previous negative experiences with United.

So on the one hand I can say, "Jonestown? Dumb ad campaign, but great cigar, I'm gonna buy one." And on the other, "United Olympics? Great ad campaign, but horrible airline, I'm gonna pass." Neither image ad had any affect on my decision to buy their products.

[Warren]

For me it's 90% about the cigar and how it tastes and 10% who is behind the product. That being said, I'm not a big fan of any of Dion's products that I have tried so far. They aren't bad but for similar money you can get a Pepin made stick.

[bobarian]

Marketing in today's world means getting your name exposed to the consumer. The fact that this thread now runs 4 pages shows how effective this approach has been.
Marketing is not how I make my cigar purchasing decisions.

[hoax]

I don't see the big deal. Chances are;

You buy cheap consumer goods from China.
You buy oil from the Middle East.
You buy cigars from Cuba.

But you draw the line at buying from a company that uses a picture of Jim Jones as a joke. I guess that's your right, but it seems rather petty to me.