'Phone or Die' in Bed Stuy
If the Bed Stuy edition of the new locally-targeted ad campaign from Virgin Mobile is any indication, Branson et al should probably get back to the drawing board before the national roll-out. Here’s the text: When people close their eyes and think of Brooklyn, your legendary brownstones come to mind. That’s because everyone from rappers…
If the Bed Stuy edition of the new locally-targeted ad campaign from Virgin Mobile is any indication, Branson et al should probably get back to the drawing board before the national roll-out. Here’s the text:
When people close their eyes and think of Brooklyn, your legendary brownstones come to mind. That’s because everyone from rappers to directors have used you as the backdrop for stories about life in the neighborhood that has everything. Do or Die is more than a moniker. It speaks to the fact that you don’t take crap from anyone. Especially newcomers who want to change Bed-Stuy into some sort of yuppie strip mall. With us you only make changes if you want. That’s the beauty of our cell phone plans without annual contracts. Because Bed-Stuy, we know you call your own shots.
It’s a good thing Virgin Mobile has been so entrenched in the community for so long and isn’t trying to exploit it for commercial purposes! Check out another of the ads that up along the BQE on the jump.
Good point: “Believe me, the industry knows you all too well”
My take: I saw the ad, yes its disgusting. but at least they thought of us. next time it’ll get better, but right now that is one of the top worst ads I’ve ever seen and it really does make me wonna puke.
“Bed-Stuy persona”
You delete the Posts from Blacks trying to warn white people that Bed-Stuy is about to erupt but keep racist posts such as:
you know the “REAL” inhabitants of bed stuy fall in the following categories,
a) can’t read the damn ad
b) don’t give a shit to read the damn ad because they are too busy hustling crack
c) can’t read the ad because they are too drunk drinking old english at 8 in the morning
d) all of the above.
Don’t worry not only are we not crack heads and drunks in Bed-Stuy but we are computer literate and have been printing and passing this website along. Know why they hate you all now?
You can delete what we write but they still hate you all coming into their neighborhood. When they riot don’t say I didn’t tell you so.
Okay i was born and raised in Park Slope, my father was born and raisedin park slope. We live in the same house my father grew up in, WE ARE BROOKLYN. we cant afford Gristedes Grocery stores, or “back to the land” foods. we dont wat organic food. We buy quarter waters and icies, run thru the fire hydrants, We are real lower middle class. This ad is targeting the middle-lower class people of the ‘old brooklyn’ the thing is these people (their target audience) arent really pying attention or on these kind of websites putting their 2 cents in.
the least that virgin did was give people a lil neighborhood pride. thats wats up!
F the YUPPIES…go back to Wyoming, NEw Hampshire, n WATEVA HICK TOWN U CAME FROM!!!!!
you know the “REAL” inhabitants of bed stuy fall in the following categories,
a) can’t read the damn ad
b) don’t give a shit to read the damn ad because they are too busy hustling crack
c) can’t read the ad because they are too drunk drinking old english at 8 in the morning
d) all of the above.
AND THAT WAS THE POINT! the ad wasn’t ACTUALLY made to speak to BLACKS/BED STUY ruffians… but more to the people, ahem, CAUCASIAN people like the ones getting their pseudo-colorblind panties in a bunch. duh. take a class in what we (real, educated designers) consider the idea of “reverse advertising, via displaced anger / disassociated relation”. NOT GUERRILLA advertising.
AND THAT WAS THE POINT! the ad wasn’t ACTUALLY made to speak to BLACKS/BED STUY ruffians… but more to the people, ahem, CAUCASIAN people like the ones getting their pseudo-colorblind panties in a bunch. duh. take a class in what we consider “reverse advertising, via displaced anger / disassociated relation”. NOT GUERRILLA advertising
I’m a “professional” black male living in Bedstuy.. I grew up here and have spent most of my 20 some odd years here in the same brownstone.
The problem isn’t a color issue. It’s a class issue. Myself, being able to afford to actually live almost anywhere (except that island I so need to get to) I realize the pure luck of my situation. The brownstone I live in was bought by my parents and they’ve since moved on. That said, being aware of where I live and the culture that surrounds me is an important facet to generally take into account. I don’t really expect to see better stores pop up because the community can’t really support it. There are a bunch of 99 cent stores because the main popolous makes an annual avg of some 20k and that’s median for a 5 family. In business it’s strictly business so feeling slighted if Hermès couture isn’t available around the corner, would be a tiny bit silly.
The main issue I notice is that alot of gentrifiers black or white come to the community with prospects of it becoming some lovely trinket village. However, these same persons will not fight for the issues that will make it so. So the general populous becomes displaced instead of part of the process.
Partonize a particular business. I normally buy from Bravo even though it maybe overpriced for some of the smaller things I need. Donate to the political parties involved in the district on both sides asking for the same improvements from each side. Call 311 when you see a problem, they will come and they will fix it. Know your neighbors or get to know people and realize that black, asian, white some people clearly have it out for you and they should be avoided at all cost.
Also I’ve noticed that the new properties going up have cameras, fences all sorts of security like devices from magnetic door locks to barb wire. It’s not really the best way to come into the neighborhood. Generally if it’s not nailed down it will be stolen but some of the stuff I’ve seen is quite excessive and in all honesty if someone in Bedford-Stuyvesant wanted to steal it; you could put an army on watch through the night and it’d be gone by morning. Recommended is subtle but secure installations. You want to be apart of the community, but live in isolation. That simply can’t work and your neighbors and current residents will be averse to you prescence.
On the flipside, community residents should at the very least be willing to welcome any new neighbor who shows an interest and willingness to be apart of the community.
Anyway..I find alot of people on this blog have been quite childish about the situation in regards to Bedstuy. Everytime I come back it’s quite less informed discussion and more decisive division from both sides.
Anon, you must be kidding. I have been received very well in the neighborhood. Ha. Of course that all changed as soon as I started to wear slacks, shirt, and a tie. Why is that? Why is it that when I wore jeans, t-shirts, and carried a backpack I had no problem, but as soon as I look like I have a business job, the tie becomes a bullseye? Since the beginning of June I’ve had no less than four incidences where it was verbalized how I was not wanted. I’ve been here almost a year w/o many comments until now. Well, that is just too bad because this is the cheapest place and the closest to the city that I don’t won’t move. I just hope more people start moving here. It’d be great to have more restaurants, stores, and less boarded up buildings. Do your part and when you see me make sure to say hi.
white people swear they own everything. they feel as if they can come into bed-stuy and now its “their” block and neighborhood. it wasnt “their” neighborhood when there were crack vials on the floor, but now its a little cleaner, its the only place they can afford in the city and now all of a sudden its “their” neighborhood.
i swear, white people think they own everything.
if it gets bad, you guys are the first ones out. you are newcomers! all these clean-up projects, why werent u coming down to bed-stuy and doing clean up projects before, we really needed it back then. this blog’s demographic is made up of newcomers, or people who are looking to move into bed stuy, so of course you are going to get offended when somebody calls u out.
why dont u ask us true long-time residents what we really think of the changes this neighborhood is going through. i promise you, you will not get a nice response.
white people think they own everything. can come into bed-stuy and now its “their” block and neighborhood. it wasnt their neighborhood when there were crack vials on the floor, but now its a little cleaner, its the only place they can afford in the city and now its all of a sudden “their” neighborhood.
i swear, white people think they own everything.