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Adidas might want to hire a local marketing firm to sell stuff to Marathon runners next year
By adamg on Tue, 04/18/2017 - 2:09pm
Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon! probably isn't a message that a Boston-based marketing firm would send to runners, especially not next year, after the fifth anniversary of, well, you know.
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Comments
Cut Them Some Slack
In all fairness, the social media director was only 16 in 2013. That's so long ago to be hung up on things. like that thing that happened then.
It is funny to have the lack of brains to post this but to also have the wherewithal to cut out the Citgo sign out of the pic, you know that icon the runners keep their focus on for miles 23 to 25?
Hey now
What does an email subject line have to do with social?
And not all social marketers are self-taught, YouTube famous kids. Just saying.
Are people thinking it's just too soon, or forever off-limits?
Personally, I think we should go back to our pre-bombing traditions and feelings about the Boston Marathon as soon as possible. Obviously those of us who lived through it will never forget the events, but humans have been congratulating their fellow humans for surviving marathons probably since marathons began. I'm inclined to give Adidas a break. I bet people who actually ran the race know exactly what the company meant.
Always in poor taste
You run a marathon, you don't survive it.
It is in poor taste now because of the perspective provided by the bombings.
It is in poor taste forever because marathoners massively overrate themselves anyway.
I've run a marathon. I've given birth to two children without drugs. Marathons are short and easy and you get to rest after.
Come on...
Have you ever run one? You most definitely "survive". This isn't a jog through the park.
Come on...
Wow - did you even read the comment you replied to?
If you're "surviving" a marathon then you didn't train for it.
Just running 26 miles isn't in and of itself a daunting task for someone who's reasonably fit and trained for the distance.
I trained
I ran on Monday. My 10th overall, 4th Boston. I qualified so I'd say I'm "reasonably fit" and am still exhausted today, but this isn't really the point. I received the email from Adidas and the follow-up apology, and honestly, I didn't even think about it. I also ran Boston in 2013. They made an error and apologized for it. I'm with whoever stated above that it was a thoughtless mistake and they clearly weren't trying to be insensitive to anyone. Apology accepted.
Come on
Have you ever given birth?
Have you ever biked 110 miles in a day, only to get up the next day and do 95 more?
I've run a half marathon (during basic training), and I have also done the Pan Mass Challenge, and I've given birth twice.
A running event that takes most people less than five or six hours, or a two day, twenty hour bike event have nothing on the latter.
You don't survive things that you can easily drop out of if you are feeling ill or not up to completing. There is no sag wagon for childbirth or cancer or losing a limb or anything like that.
Your comment might get to the point
But you missed it a bit.
Do you "survive" childbirth? Well, you know how tough it is, so your war stories of x number of hours in labor might be close.
Did you "survive" the PMC? Look, I have to gripe with cyclists, but one of the differences between those who bike and those who run is that going downhill, cyclists can basically rest, which runners don't have that luxury. Still, 195 miles ain't nothing to sneeze at, so yes, I do know veterans of the ride who would call it surviving.
Suffice to say, "surviving" can be used for all of these endurance events.
One thing, though. A half is a decent distance, but it is nothing compared to a marathon.
So
You're only allowed to say you "survived" things that you can't drop out of? Jesus Christ, this is the epitome of whining on the internet. Ok, so I guess I didn't "survive" finals in college. I didn't "survive" a horrible travel experience. "Hey, how was the weekend with the in-laws?" "Eh, I survived".
Enough with the OUTRAGE about silly things. I can say whatever I like...and if I run for 4.5 hrs and finish, yes, I'll say I survived.
Yes
In reading your response, I cannot figure out why you seem to be disagreeing with me.
How about using "survived" as a turn of the phrase, Swirly...
I have run three marathons, four 1/2 marathons and over 50 other assorted other length races. Ok, let us play semantics. Using the word "survive" to "survive" a marathon may be over play but there was plenty of light hearted banter on my part, after I proudly ran my first, saying how I "survived". When I completed a 1/2 marathon during what was basically a nor' easter with heavy rain and wind which resulted in some mild hypothermia at the finish line and when others dropped out, I proudly said "I survived."
In regards to a sag wagon for giving birth, well, perhaps you had a tough time of it but I would not equate that with suffering with cancer or losing a limb.
Good for you.
See my below comment to Swirly.
Marathons are not short and not easy. If they were, anyone could lace on a pair of Keds that morning and push out the 26.2 like no one's business in the afternoon. They take dedication, sacrifice and training.
Doesn't work that way
If you're really inclined to go there, you can make the argument about "pre-bombing traditions" (what, exactly, has been abandoned? The carefree practice of bringing bags full of whatever to the event?). When you try to make the case that "we should go back to our pre-bombing...feelings", that just sounds silly. However much justification there may be, people's feelings don't budge because someone else thinks it's time for them to move on.
Thank you for the definitive judgment on the way things work!
It's a relief to know your ruling is forever accessible here, in case I forget the way things do and do not work. I do hope you won't be offended if I stand by my opinions.
I'm with you on this. As a
I'm with you on this. As a Bostonian and a marathoner, I think it should be perfectly acceptable to talk about surviving a marathon. Certainly it's said about other marathons and used to be said about ours. No speech policing each other on this.
I will, however, beef with this: "surviving marathons probably since marathons began." Pheidippides would beg to differ.
What % of people who run Boston are from Mass?
Only about 15%.
This ad is for the other 85%. They probably run the same ad in Chicago, Philly, NYC, etc. Doesn't mean it isn't tasteless. "Now that you can walk again" is probably equally tasteless. Also, neither is creative, although marketing is just liquor and guessing. Still, maybe something like "Congrats, you made it to Copley." Now give us more of your money, we have a lot of jackets to sell!
No one has died running the actual race since 2002. (One then, one in 1996).* Although I hear someone came relatively close last year.
* This actually seems low: 30,000 people run every year, the average age is about 45, and amongst 45-year-olds there's about 250 deaths annually per 100,000 people, or 0.7 per 100,000 per day, meaning that if you took 30,000 random people with an average age of 45 (or, likely with an age profile similar to the marathon), someone would die an average of once every four days. Lots of bias here since people most likely to die probably don't run Boston, but it's still the case that "surviving" is a pretty low standard. And, yes, I know this is not how actuarial science works, but it's a Q&D method here.
Same ad?
Why would they include YOU'RE BOSTON STRONG in an ad sent to people who run the NYC or Chicago or Philadelphia marathons?
I agree with some of the
I agree with some of the sentiment of those posting... but they ALSO use the Boston Strong motif in the same ad piece. If you recall Boston Strong was coined as a direct reaction to the bombing as a way to build up civic sentiment. I realize it has degraded since then and has spread out... but it does seem like an odd side by side.
Runners
It's a true statement, they survived the marathon. If Adidas wrote "they survived a pressure cooker of a race" i could see a problem.
Adidas brought up memories of 2013 themselves
In the body of the email, they told customers that they were “Boston Strong”. If it weren't for that, I'd cut them some slack. But you don't bring up the slogan from 2013 and then make a reference to surviving.
I'd agree with you there.
Unless 100% of the proceeds went to the victims and their families, I think any commercial use of Boston Strong is, was, and always will be egregious.
Forever?
So if I say "boston strong" to someone, do i need to cut a check to a victim (FYI, they prefer the term survivor)?
I said commercial use.
So I wouldn't object unless you were saying it to them for money :-)
Meh
The distance is daunting. Heck, another commenter on this almost died running a marathon, so finishers should be congratulated for surviving the race.
Run 26.2 miles, Gaffin, then tell us if you think it was the wrong thing to write.
See above
if the email didn't contain YOU'RE BOSTON STRONG in huge letters right below, this would be unremarkable. But how can you put that in and not realize what you've done?
Can't beat Subway
Adidas has a long way to go to match Subway's 9/11 promotion. (Via the Onion)
Seriously
You can't make this $hit up can u....wtf...
Actually
Yes, you can–The Onion is a satire site, so that is completely made up. This, on the other hand, is not.
To their credit, their
To their credit, their apology statement included both an actual apology and a "we done fucked up."
Hmm...
I suppose this means people are not ready for my "Boston Dong" t-shirt. Pity.