Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Is Staples your office supply store?  (Read 2718 times)

Offline MDixon

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2311
Is Staples your office supply store?
« on: May 31, 2013, 06:10:13 am »
It's not mine anymore. Staples had a contest for a marketing campaign and a small business applied and got the following email response.
Quote
Entry contains content that promotes alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing); promotes any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous; promotes any particular political agenda or message; is obscene or offensive; or endorses any form of hate or hate group.

Up until I read that I had used Staples as my office supply store...no more.

http://mashbang.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/staple-this/
« Last Edit: May 31, 2013, 06:26:04 am by MDixon »
It's not a popularity contest, it's beer!

Offline phillamb168

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2351
  • Lardy, France
    • My Job
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2013, 07:01:45 am »
Quote
Jackson said he went from disgusted to angry.

“They lumped us in with criminals,” he said.

Those commas are important... They're not lumping him in with criminals, they're just sending him a giant boilerplate of all the things they can't allow in their advertising.

As an aside, I was surprised to find out that office supply stores still exist.
I'm on twitter: phillamb168
----
morticaixavier for governing committee!

Offline MDixon

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2311
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2013, 07:06:59 am »
So it would somehow be in bad taste for a commercial to appear which was sponsored by Staples and had a small startup brewery?

I just cannot stand stuff like this. PayPal has some asinine practices as well as Square. Google as well. Luckily I only use PP for sending money using a Credit Card, I have no use for Square and Google is free. However Staples is a place I spend money and I can spend money elsewhere. ;)
It's not a popularity contest, it's beer!

Offline reverseapachemaster

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3775
    • Brain Sparging on Brewing
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2013, 07:31:29 am »
Seems silly for sure but there are still some people out there who think drinking is naughty.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #4 on: May 31, 2013, 07:40:35 am »
Only drinking bad beer is bad.

Offline Thirsty_Monk

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2514
  • Eau Claire WI
    • Lazy Monk Brewing
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2013, 07:42:54 am »
Do not get too exited about it.
The entry to ad campaign is just a marketing campain.

Staples as a marketer has full rights to its branding.
They control the message.

They decided to go mainstream non offensive.
Na Zdravie

Lazy Monk Brewing
http://www.lazymonkbrewing.com

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2013, 07:49:39 am »
Well said
It might have something to do with the company history too. Didn't a Mormon start it, or rebuild it?

Offline theDarkSide

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3041
  • Derry, NH
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2013, 07:58:24 am »
Well said
It might have something to do with the company history too. Didn't a Mormon start it, or rebuild it?
Mitt Romney invested in it when he was on the board at Bain Capital, but I don't know if the orginal owners were Mormon. 

Drinking is evil...but the liver is more evil and deserves to be punished.  Embrace the Dark Side  ;D
Seacoast Homebrew Club - Portsmouth, NH
AHA Member
Stephen Mayo
------------------------------------------------

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2013, 08:14:31 am »
Well in any event, I don't think they carry beer or ingredients so I don't shop there.

Offline AmandaK

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1850
  • Redbird Brewhouse
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #9 on: May 31, 2013, 09:24:37 am »
Do not get too exited about it.
The entry to ad campaign is just a marketing campain.

Staples as a marketer has full rights to its branding.
They control the message.

They decided to go mainstream non offensive.

Exactly.
Amanda Burkemper
KC Bier Meisters Lifetime Member - KCBM 3x AHA Club of the Year!!
BJCP Assistant (to the) Midwest Rep
BJCP Grand Master/Mead/Cider


Our Homebrewed Wedding, AHA Article

Offline MDixon

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2311
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #10 on: May 31, 2013, 10:31:43 am »
Staples posted the statement below on FB about an hour ago.

http://www.facebook.com/staples
Quote
We heard you! At Staples, we value all of our customers and appreciate your feedback. We now realize the rules of our Push It Forward contest were too restrictive and kept out legitimate businesses. Unfortunately, we can't change the rules once the contest is underway. But we will revise our rules to make sure future contests are more inclusive and reflect our commitment to helping all small businesses.

It's not a popularity contest, it's beer!

narvin

  • Guest
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2013, 11:33:07 am »
Wow, that's surprising.  I thought the only response to your smear campaign would be to sue you for defamation!

Offline gsandel

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 341
  • www.onbeer.blogspot.com
    • On Beer
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2013, 12:06:12 pm »
Quote
Drinking is evil...but the liver is more evil and deserves to be punished.

The only thing evil is being stuck into an office that doesn't allow adult beverages to be consumed at your desk.

Come to think of it, a keggerator should be considered office equipment like the coffee maker....just for after my coffee goes cold (around 9am).
You wouldn't believe the things I've seen...

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27070
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2013, 01:28:14 pm »

Come to think of it, a keggerator should be considered office equipment like the coffee maker....just for after my coffee goes cold (around 9am).

Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline Slowbrew

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2857
  • The Slowly Losing IT Brewery in Urbandale, IA
Re: Is Staples your office supply store?
« Reply #14 on: May 31, 2013, 01:42:13 pm »

Come to think of it, a keggerator should be considered office equipment like the coffee maker....just for after my coffee goes cold (around 9am).



I've thought that would be fun to do with an old full tower case.  Something with enough bays to install the tap and use an old CD-ROM drive for the drip tray.  8^)

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?