While thumbing through the Chicago Sun Times on my way to work this morning, I came across the following advertisement for Chicago Bulls season tickets:

Love It Live

I love the blatant fear mongering: If you don't buy season tickets right now, they could be sold out for 13 years...it happened before. And while that statement is true, technically speaking, the "before" team featured Michael Jordan. And unless I passed out and missed something big, the Bulls didn't sign Jordan in the offseason. They signed Joe Smith. I don't see Smith -- who averaged a whopping 8 PPG and 6 RPG last season -- tipping the balance of power in the Eastern Conference. But then again, the East is so crappy I guess it's not entirely out of the question. Next June, I might be forced to admit that the Bulls had been only one Joe Smith away from reaching the NBA Finals. But I doubt it.

I just sort of think the scare tactics are a little much. A team should be sold on its merits, not the fear of maybe, possibly, conceivably missing out on legendary run, especially when there's no real evidence to suggest that's going to happen any time soon. If the Bulls had won the draft lottery and snagged Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, I could see the value of a "don't miss out" marketing campaign. As things stand, I think the Bulls should be marketed for what they are: A group of young, exciting, up-and-coming players who play hard every night.

Fat chance of that, though. None of the current roster are even mentioned as attractions on the team's official season ticket page. However, the page does try to entice you with the chance to see "LeBron, D-Wade, Shaq, Kobe, Garnett, McGrady, Duncan and the rest of the NBA's elite." That can't make guys like Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, or Luol Deng feel very good about themselves.

Oh well. That's marketing for you. It is what it is. And besides, it doesn't really matter to fans like me. I've been attending Bulls games since they were rocking a lineup that featured Dickey Simpkins, Mark Bryant, Randy Brown, and Rusty LaRue. And as long as they keep Luvabulls like Carissa around, I will keep on loving it live.

Carissa
Buy season tickets and you
can, ahem, love her live.

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8 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Didn't the World's First Greg Ostertag™ average like a dozen points on that squad?

Tim Floyd SURE had some GREAT talent...

Blogger Evil Ted said...
This comment has been removed by the author.

Blogger Evil Ted said...
You'd think if the Bulls organization were really high on their team, they'd have put three actual BULLS PLAYERS on the frickin' ad - instead of a player, a cheerleader, and a mascot.

"Oooo, if I purchase season tickets, I can regularly enjoy the softcore excitement of cheerleaders from two hundred feet away, and maybe I'll catch a slingshot T-shirt!"

I haven't searched out anything, but I'm just guessing the Spurs have actual players on their ads.

The Chicago White Sox PR team have been the kings of slogans ever talent with "Good Guys Wear Black" and "The Kids can play" (we assume they can play, guys - they're pro baseball players).

The White Sox marketing staff must have breathed a collective sigh of relief when the team won the World Series during the year they chose the slogan "Win or Die Trying." It would have been shame and a massive PR debacle to have to kill all of those promising players.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Yo, Carissa needs to lose the tummy.

Blogger Basketbawful said...
Yo, that's just her spare tire-a-bul.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
do they really need to advertise like this? they lead the league in attendance almost every year. if paxson wants me to spend 6 grand on season tickets, i demand he removes all idiotic entertainment during games i.e. matadors, dancing grannys. otherwise, i will continually enjoy johnny red kerr being senile.

Blogger Basketbawful said...
Agreed on the removal of entertainment suggestion. Especially the Matadors...

*shudder*

Blogger Robinson said...
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