In a move that seems unfair to say the least, Intuit is not advancing NORML to the third round of it’s Super Bowl Ad Contest. NORML received a ton of media coverage after it won first place in round one of the contest. One would think that taking first place in the first round, and the media love that ensued, would ensure that NORML would at least make it to the top 20 overall contestants for round 3, but sadly, that wasn’t the case.
Marijuana is more popular than just about anything right now, and it would have been a great thing to see a marijuana Super Bowl ad. Below is NORML’s reaction to the news. I encourage all TWB readers to tweet and post Facebook messages directed at Intuit:
Today, Intuit announced the 20 finalists who moved on to Round 3 of their “Small Business, Big Game” contest. Despite finishing first in the initial round of public voting (Intuit removed the ability to sort by vote popularity during the second round) and generating hundreds of media hits through Round 2, Intuit, for reasons not communicated to NORML, decided not to advance our entry to the latest round in the contest.
(NOTE: Intuit had opened the contest up to non-profit organizations, which NORML is. We also met their requirements in both staff and budget for being a “small business”)
“It is unfortunate that Intuit seems to be relying more on outdated political values instead of overwhelming public opinion when it comes to selecting which entries advanced in their contest,” noted NORML Communications Director Erik Altieri, “As demonstrated by the outpouring of support and positive media coverage for our entry, the country was ready and eager to see an ad for sensible marijuana law reforms during the most watched TV program of the year. This could’ve been a win for all groups involved, but instead Intuit will likely have only generated ill will for itself amongst the 58% of Americans who now support ending our country’s war on marijuana.”
Though NORML has been excluded from Round 3 of the contest, our entry was covered by countless media outlets across the country. You can view a list of some of these media stories below:
AOL (video also aired on local news stations)
WHAS11 (Broadcast Channel Kentucky)
NORML would like to thank all of those who supported us in this effort. Thanks to your passion, Super Bowl Ad or not, we still took the message of legalization across the country and generated substantial conversation on this important issue. As PR expert Peter Madden stated on our entry to USA Today, even without an ultimate victory in the contest, NORML already won big. “This isn’t PR gold,” Madden stated, “It’s PR platinum.”
Source: NORML – make a donation
