“An investment in our waterways is an investment in our future,” that’s the well crafted closing line for an otherwise puzzling and pointless commercial that the American Waterways Council is spending big bucks to air these days. It’s a refreshing reminder that industry trade associations can as inept at the communications game as we are.
Here’s what I expect the waterways folks were trying to do — build political support in Congress to pump more tax dollars into locks, dams, river dredging, bank hardening, and other nature destroying activities. Their pitch: Less pollution because barges move freight for less fossil fuel.
The pitch is pretty well worded, but without an opportunity for viewers to express their support, it’s just boilerplate. The ad provides no number to call, no petition to sign, no label to look for on a product, nothing. And that means that if people notice the ad, the waterways association won’t know it. And if voters agree with the ad, Congress won’ t know it.
My hunch is that this ad will vanish without a trace, taking a large sum of waterways association dollars along with it. And I’m OK with that! 
Subscribe via RSS
Fan Our Facebook Page
Connect on LinkedIn