Ah, the Power Of Advertising --Cagle
WE GET all kinds of phone calls with strange requests. People want to know if we will publish their memoirs. Or, they want to know about how to get published. I even get two or three calls a year from people wanting to know if I can forward their medical records to their new doctor. Apparently, my number closely resembles a university healthcare record-keeping department. Some people call to complain. A few have gone so far as to call me an idiot. One woman insisted on calling me three times in one day to tell me how stupid I was. I finally got sick of the insults and told my wife not to bother me during business hours.
Ba-dum-dum.
But, the other day was definitely a first for our esteemed publication. A reader phoned to inquire about purchasing one of the dogs shown in the Partner Printing.com ad on page 41 of the March issue. Alas, we couldn't invoice for the adorable pooch.
"We're not in the dog selling business," states Dean Lurch, sales and marketing manager for Partner Printing.com. "But, I guess there's no such thing as bad press."
We'll end the suspense early. The picture of the pug puppies came from a stock photo service, and aren't from a litter owned by a Partner Printing.com employee. So, you'll have to track down your own pug.
Still, the trio of puppy dogs—from the "3 and it's free" gratis shipping promotion that ended in April—continue what has been a successful animal-based ad campaign for Partner Printing.com. Known for using frogs in its print ads, the trade printer has relied on animals such as horses and sheep to create hilarious themes. The horse head ("Straight from the horse's mouth") picture that appeared in January is a riot.
Apparently, not everyone became dewy-eyed with puppy love upon seeing the March ad in Printing Impressions. According to Lurch, the company received an e-mail complaint from an animal right's activist who chastised the company for using pure breed dogs in the ad.
Why? The mixed breeds that are in shelters get put down when an owner cannot be secured in a given time. Also, pure breeding has developed a bit of a bad reputation, with its often less-than-ideal conditions.
Take heart, animal lovers. While Partner Printing.com can't satisfy your quest for the animals in its ads, you can secure one simply by doing business with the company. It offers a rewards program with a point given for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed for gifts. Among the items in its gift catalog, along with the televisions, cars and grand pianos, is an American Quarterhorse.
TOUCHING STORY
The following story comes from The Times of India. A press operator was fortunate to have seven of his shorn-off fingers reattached during a 14-hour microsurgery. The fingers were severed while the employee worked on a paper cutting machine.
Reattachment involved joining 33 blood vessels, 14 nerves, 14 tendons and seven bones, according to the paper.
It took eight hours alone for the victim to reach the hospital, which was roughly 200 miles away from the accident scene. He is now undergoing therapy.
DEVASTATING FIRE
On an even more somber note, the owners and employees of Paarl Print in Paarl, South Africa (fewer than 50 miles northeast of Cape Town), are still reeling from the April 17 fire that killed 10 people and injured 10 others. There were 120 employees in the building when the fire broke out, according to the Pretoria News.
Paarl Media, parent company of Paarl Print, has established a support fund for relatives of the fire victims.
At press time, investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blaze. It was the second time this year that fire struck a Paarl Media company. A press was destroyed by fire at Paarl Gravure, but no one was injured.
PEREZ ON PARADE
We don't want to head into the summer on a down beat. Every year, Parade magazine publishes a theme issue around "What People Earn." The names and mugshots of 120 folks are included—from Hollywood celebrities to the bloke next door—along with their professions, ages, home towns and annual salaries.
The list is always fascinating. This year, it included a band director in Ashland, KY who makes $38,000; the podiatrist from Naperville, IL who brings down $125,000 a year; and a forensic video analyst in Norman, OK who earns $64,000. Sounds CSI-ish. A young actress makes just $2,000, while a 35-year-old hedge fund manager rakes in (read: steals) a cool $1.5 billion.
Well, the good folks at Parade decided to honor America's fifth-largest industry. Our amigo, Glenn Perez, 31, the pride of Brooklyn Park, MN, also made the list with his printing salary of $55,000. While no company name is listed, Mr. Perez does have a logo on his chest that reads "Creative."
From all of us at Printing Impressions, keep up the good work, Glenn. PI
—Erik Cagle
