Advertising in the south

[Monkeyleg]

One thing that really struck me on my move to the south was advertising. Ads on TV and radio that run here could never run in places like Milwaukee.

For example, on the drive down to our new home, we passed through Louisville. I was listening to the radio, and an ad that sounded like an ADT security ad came on. There was the sound of sirens, and one woman saying to the other, "Jane, are you okay?" Jane replied, "yes. I tried to call 911, but he was already in the house. Thank God for Shooters World". Then a male voiceover talked about the guns for self defense at Shooters World.

That ad could never run in any northern city.

Every politician, Republican or Democrat, has to have at least one TV campaign ad showing him/her with a gun. In the last election cycles, I saw an ad with a politician in his horse corral, a Winchester 94 over his shoulder. Another ad showed a candidate firing a Glock at an indoor range. Yet another ad showed a female candidate firing a full-auto Thompson outdoors.

While getting chemo today, I saw a couple of TV spots for insurance agents and attorneys. In one spot, a school bully is picking on a girl in a school hallway. A kid comes running up, punches the bully in the face, knocking him to the floor. The kid then morphs into a full-grown attorney who talks about "fighting for you".

In another ad, an insurance agent in a suit is in the woods with a scoped rifle. He takes aim at a deer that has a sign on it somehow related to insurance. I couldn't hear the sound, but I assume it had something to do with insurance.

I love the south.

[MechAg94]

I never saw much of that coming out of Houston TV stations growing up.  I think there is a lot more in the last few years as gun stores do good business.  Collector's Firearms has been advertising on radio a lot.  A couple of gun safe companies advertise heavily on the radio.  Other gun stores and gun ranges advertise on the radio a lot.  I don't see as much on TV, but I don't watch much local TV.  I also tend to forget about the big box sporting goods stores advertising and that includes gun and hunting stuff. 

There is a reason why Senator John Cornyn of Texas picked up the nickname John Wayne McCornyn.  His TV and radio ads during election years would be funny if he wasn't one of my Senators. 

[Perd Hapley]

I don't doubt there's a regional difference, but guns have also gone mainstream in a big way.

I think we've talked about this before. I never heard radio ads for gun stores until just a few years ago (either here, or in Texas), and now I hear them almost every time I listen (St. Louis market). I don't think talk radio guys spent a lot of time on guns back during, say, the Bush or Clinton era*. Now Dana Loesch will spend half an hour talking about them, and I'm not a bit surprised when other radio guys talk about the guns they own. Guns are normal again.



*Thank God I can say "the Clinton era," singular. 

[MillCreek]

Interesting.  I have never encountered a single firearms-related advertisement on the local radio and television in the Seattle area.  I see an occasional ad for Cabela's or Bass Pro, but they are not firearms-specific.

[RoadKingLarry]

It's called "demographics".

[Monkeyleg]

Fistful, the Shooters Shop in Milwaukee was running radio ads back in the 2000's. The difference with the Louisville ad is that the woman apparently shot the intruder, then thanked God for the gun store.

[BlueStarLizzard]

It's not just area demographics but also genre demographics.

The alt rock wanna be indie style station wouldn't be caught dead playing commercials for guns and gun safes. The country station plays them a lot.
The really funny one is the classic rock station that was running a commercial for one of the newer tacticool gun stores. I think they paid extra to force the morning DJ who is notoriously and obnoxiously liberal to read the ad. Based on some snide and sulky comments he made on the morning show not long after it came out, he was not a happy camper. 

[HankB]

Growing up in Chicago, I never saw a gun shop ad on TV. Of course, back then, we only had broadcast TV on the VHF band. Once they added UHF channels we had a bit more to choose from, but it was still a pretty big market with high (for the time) commercial prices, so - no gun shop ads. There were a few newspaper ads for gun sales back then, but politics intruded, the ads disappeared, and even the local Sears and JCPenny stores stopped selling guns.

So a little later when I was attending grad school in Rochester, NY, I was astonished to see ads for "Creekside Gun Shop" on television.

I see more gun advertising here in TX - I wouldn't say a lot, but it's there. Usually on the non-network cable channels.

I saw a funny commercial once when I was hunting in Iowa - Slim Pickins was in a cabin, and began blazing away with a sixgun at a mouse or rat that was running across the floor. It escaped - whereupon Slim said as he was getting along in years he wasn't hitting those varmints the way he used to so he used D-Con mouse and rat poison. Funny thing is, I was in a cabin that HAD mice - think it gave me some ideas?   

[zxcvbob]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz1wGSC6u-0   

[Scout26]

Point Blank Range (they are a chain !!!)  Surprisingly, has been advertising on Chicago Radio (not sure about TV as we don't have one).

IIRC, I think that at least two other ranges in the Chicagoland Area have been advertising on the radio.  Both talk (WLS-AM890) and Classic Rock (WDRV The Drive 97.1FM)   I know Mancow has shilled for a range (I disremember which one) on The Loop (WLUP 97.9FM) which is mostly classic heavy metal.

[KD5NRH]

Funny thing is, I was in a cabin that HAD mice - think it gave me some ideas?

Don't use ratshot on linoleum floors...unless you just need improved traction.

[230RN]

Tanner Gun Shows advertise on TV just about every month around here, at least on one channel which isn't quite so paranoid about firearms.   (Yes, "paranoid" in the technical sense; irrational fear.)  They even had coverage of a Cowboy Action Shoot a while ago.  They also carry the sitcom "Last Man Standing."

Seen lots of local newspaper (usually weeklies) which have ads for concealed carry licensure.  Don't know about the "mainstream" paper, the Denver Post, because I don't have a parrot and don't need bird cage liner.

Many moons ago I wrote to the NRA inquiring as to why they don't advertise more and their answer was basically "because they don't let us."

Yet these small local weeklies (which are usually very good in terms of "legacy-style" jounalism) are always hungry for advertising revenue, and I don't see why they couldn't advertise in them.

G-d knows we could always use a few more positive advertising  "impacts" to counter the "smear merchants'" massive public relations abilities.  I'm looking at you guys, Bloomberg and Soros and all you self-righteous rich bastages.

Terry

[MechAg94]

I know the owner of one of the gun safe stores that advertises a lot in Houston.  He said things were slow prior to 2008.  He was paying the bills, but considering closing his store and moving out of Houston.  Then President Obama got elected and the run on guns happened.  He said business picked up then and he has been doing great ever since.  He added sales staff and he moved out near San Antonio (new store) and has someone else running his store in Houston.  He did a big tent sale down in the mall parking lot in Lake Jackson a few years back.  He said he sold over 60 safes out of that sale in about a week.  He advertises mostly on sports radio.  There is another outfit advertising on the radio stations I listen to.  I think I might know that owner also, but I haven't talked to him (assuming it is him) in many years. 

I have heard similar things about the gun stores.  The old gun stores have had their best years in the last 10 or 12 years.  I hear ads for lots of new gun stores and ranges that I never heard of.  It has all picked up, but I think a lot more people are buying guns and getting into shooting also.

[MechAg94]

I was also thinking I have seen a lot of Henry commercials on cable TV the last year or so.

[230RN]

I was also thinking I have seen a lot of Henry commercials on cable TV the last year or so.

Oh, I forgot about that.  Yes, there's an over-the-air TV station around here that does a lot of sporting / shooting programs including the Henry shows and advertising.  Henry also put on the 1000 gun shoot:

https://youtu.be/0a8MwoO8-CI

Actual firing starts at 4:00.  Inspiring !

1000 shooters firing simultaneously.  World record-type stuff. 2A goodness and deliciousness.

Terry

[brimic]

Fistful, the Shooters Shop in Milwaukee was running radio ads back in the 2000's. The difference with the Louisville ad is that the woman apparently shot the intruder, then thanked God for the gun store.

Now its Midwest Industries radio ads...which has become my favorite funstore  http://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/
Do google 'Sheriff Clarke PSA.'
Before he he really came into the limelight over the last year, Sheriff Clarke was using county funds to buy radio air time for PSAs which can be summed up with "The police aren't going to be there when you need them, buy a gun, get training, and be responsible for your own safety." 

[230RN]

I wonder if his PSAs appear on PBS stations....

 

Terry, 230RN

[2nd_to_one]

Interesting.  I have never encountered a single firearms-related advertisement on the local radio and television in the Seattle area.  I see an occasional ad for Cabela's or Bass Pro, but they are not firearms-specific.

I know this thread is a couple of days old, but if you want to hear gun ads on "Seattle" radio try tuning 1520 AM or 101.1 FM (KKXA Classic Country in Snohomish County).  They regularly run ads for "West Coast Armory North" in Everett.

Steve

[MillCreek]

I know this thread is a couple of days old, but if you want to hear gun ads on "Seattle" radio try tuning 1520 AM or 101.1 FM (KKXA Classic Country in Snohomish County).  They regularly run ads for "West Coast Armory North" in Everett.

Steve

I used to have a membership to that store/range years ago, when it was called 'Sam's', and I lived in Mukilteo ten minutes away.