Move comes after outreach from TU CEO and volunteers
Over the past few years, you have likely heard me, TROUT magazine editor Kirk Deeter, and others rant against the absolutely boneheaded TV ads showing trucks and SUVs barreling up the middle of streams.
During the baseball playoffs last month, there was one running from Nissan. So I sent them a letter, and TU members and supporters put pressure on Nissan to do the right thing and pull the ad.
Last week, I was happy to receive a mea culpa from the company in response, which you can read below. Along with it came with a much-appreciated contribution to support TU’s work.
I’m still hoping they take us up on our offer of working with them on an ad that shows Nissan’s trucks being used to help restore rivers.
As they say on TV, stay tuned.
Dear Mr. Wood:
Thank you for your correspondence regarding our recent truck spot. We apologize for the delay in responding.
We take conservation and respectful operation of our vehicles very seriously, and we are sorry that our imagery missed the mark. While we took several steps to safeguard the locations where we filmed the spot from damage, we didn’t properly consider the impact that the simple use of the scenes could have.
The spot has now been edited to remove those portions. We’re also committed to making sure that future marketing and communications efforts reflect the expectations that outdoor enthusiasts and conservationists have of us as a major off-road truck manufacturer.
To further show our commitment to the work Trout Unlimited is doing to care for and recover rivers and streams, we would like to make a $10,000 donation to support your efforts.
Again, we thank you for bringing this to our attention and helping us better connect to your community.
Sincerely,
Brian
Brian Brockman | Vice President, Communications, US & Canada