Campaign canned after pun bombs

JESSED: Julian Moss and Jess the German Shepherd bitch, that was at the centre of a marketing leaflet that earned brickbats for her owner. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

A Masterton businessman canned a controversial mail-out campaign after fielding complaints about the leaflets' pun on the gender of his German Shepherd bitch named Jess.

Julian Moss, owner of Masterton Storage, said his and another Masterton business last month partnered the mail-out and "to grab attention" hinged the campaign on the delivery of 5000 unstamped envelopes emblazoned with the question: "So you think I'm a silly old bitch?"

His wife Jackie had on each envelope hand-written the punning query, which was meant as a light-hearted play on words and a spur for recipients to read the contents.

Each envelope contained a leaflet that offered discounts and giveaways and opened with a "punchline" explanation that his arthritic, hearing impaired, and close to 15-year-old German Shepherd was indeed "a silly old bitch".

Jess, a frequent work companion for Mr Moss, had been with him since she was a pup. The ageing hound had outlived a male kennelmate called Jay, and today Mr Moss was "watchdog" at his secure storage firm.

"I knew it was edgy but there was never any intention to cause offence. I didn't see it any differently to Toyota using the word bugger. To me it was the same sort of thing."

About 1500 of the envelopes were placed in mailboxes in the southern part of the town, he said, and all was going swimmingly.

But there was an unexpected and negative reaction to the marketing ploy, he said, and despite getting bouquets as well as brickbats, he and his fellow marketeers decided to can the campaign.

"I got a few phone calls and texts saying well done, and I also got a few earfuls. There were more saying they enjoyed the leaflet than were offended, but because some people were getting anxious, we decided to call it quits."

Mr Moss said the failed campaign came in the wake of a successful mail drop earlier this year and he had since placed an advertisement in a Masterton give-away publication apologising for any offence the aborted run of leaflets may have caused.

"It was about getting attention and making people take action, but some were offended and it was for their sake we called it a day."