# Verizon Christmas Commercial



## muffntuf (Dec 1, 2007)

Hi

Has anyone seen the latest Verizon Christmas Commercial? It depicts miniatures and ponies as biting people. I know we work hard to keep the image of the small equine world as family and youth oriented breeds - I find this commercial devalues the image we work hard to portray.

If you see it and you have the same regards, I ask you to contact Verizon Wireless and ask them to either modify the commercial or pull it.

Thanks!


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## Cara (Dec 1, 2007)

i seen the commerical, that is so stupid , how do we contact them?


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## muffntuf (Dec 1, 2007)

I emailed their customer service. I am hoping someone on this forum is a customer and can get us a phone number so we can start calling them. The phone number posted on their website is a run around unless you are a customer. So anyone???


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## Lmequine (Dec 2, 2007)

I thought that the commercial sucked....besides the biting issue I KNOW that I will now have some first time buyers thinking that they can keep a pony chained up! I would be happy to call and complain if anyone finds the number to call!


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## muffntuf (Dec 2, 2007)

I don't know if this is a valid address, but I found this sited on a court case:

[email protected]

908-306-4824

I am going to try this myself and see if I get a response.


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## muffntuf (Dec 2, 2007)

OKAY - this is what I got back, so this person is still with Verizon and it is a valid email address and phone number:

This is an auto-reply. I am out of the country on vacation until Monday, Dec. 3 and not checking email until then. If you need assistance before then please contact Debi Lewis at [email protected] or on her mobie number: 917 848 0035.

Thanks!

JNels

Jeffrey Nelson

Corporate Communications

Verizon Wireless

Please flood this email box!

Thanks!


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## FairytailGlennMinis (Dec 2, 2007)

It is JUST a silly commercial and I thought it was hysterical. There is a whole long thread about it on the main miniature forum. I go running into the living room when I hear it come on--I just love it. Even my non-horsey friends have asked me about it because they know I have pony/minis and thought it was funny--and no, no one so far has been dumb enough to really think that is the way a pony should be kept.

OMG--floor the inbox and make calls?? You might really try putting that energy into volunteering at a soup kitchen or with toy drives for poor children or SOMEthing where there is a real problem. Over-reacting to a silly commercial that does no harm and is MEANT to be funny? sheesh. While you all are at it, be sure to call Aflak about making goats look bad, and Budweiser over ferrets and.... I give up! And here I sit responding...I need to get a life too!

Amy


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## muffntuf (Dec 2, 2007)

Thanks Amy,

While I don't have a ton of time to spend wildly chasing coporations for their portrayl of animals in commercials, this one was a bit out there for me. You and I know ponies and miniatures don't bite, and that you can't keep one chained up to a dog house, and even the message that the teen doesn't appreciate the pony at this age, I work with a lot of corporations to get their sponsorship for shows - and I know that there are a lot of city folk that weren't raised around horses - so this is a perception that they get. I have had to answera lot of questions.

And when I go to the next meeting and someone asks me about the commerical, of course I would never defame Verizon, but I will have to make sure what I present does reflect how we know miniatures and ponies are, fun, friendly, family orientated animals. Who teens by the way, do like.

Anyways, Aflac, Budweiser, etc. are over the line and we understand it is. This commercial - I don't think made a big enough jump over the line hilarity line so people do understand miniatures and ponies don't bite.

Just think the next time you are making a sales pitch to a first time family and they ask "He doesn't bite, does he?".......


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## FairytailGlennMinis (Dec 2, 2007)

I have known a lot of minis/ponies (big horses,etc) that bite--ANY animal can bite. Even a little nip getting pushy over a treat is a bite. They can also kick--both being mean and just in play or even when spooking. It happens. Anyone who says their animal would never [intsert whatever you would like here] is fooling themselves and others. Other than on here I haven't met anyone who has taken this seriously. I too have worked with companies to get promotional money both for shows and for non-profits such as a pet therapy and a therapeutic riding center where I used my own minis and I still don't see anything in this silly commercial that is damaging. It is a spoof--meant to be outrageous. I don't think anyone out there is likely to take this commercial as any more realistic than those protraying colored sweat coming out of athletes that drink gatorade or a game that transports you into space. Maybe we can really drive up mountainsides adn through rivers like in those truck commercials too? Oh--and if we have a Toyota it is will be all that is left after an alien attack too! I think having a pony tied to a doghouse is just as outrageous.

As for trying a "sales pitch" to a new family--the very few horses I have sold I was VERY honest that although my horses have never bitten in a mean manner that they can indeed bite under the right circumstances even if it is not meant as mean. I think to say otherwise would be flat dishonest about the nature of animals.


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## Mercysmom (Dec 4, 2007)

I did email Verizon and was contacted quickly via email with an apology for airing the commercial and that the person would let the marketing department know my concerns - I felt that the commercial was not safe for the horse _and_ people as even a little horse can easily panic and drag a unsecured item and the bratty teens who were not grateful were not a positive reflection on teens.

REO on the Mini board had said that the commercial would have been much funnier if the pony/mini pooped and if one of the friends asked if he did that often and the new owner said "All the time." I so agree with that...and it would not show the pony as destructive or mean - he would be doing what he does naturally. Granted, if they have teeth, they CAN bite and if they have hooves, they CAN kick and in our service/therapy work, I always explain that. A lot of people stand behind our therapy mini and they don't get it that she COULD kick - she has not in her 13 years. But if I tell them, "Don't stand back there, that is where the poop comes out," they run for cover.

Yes, commercials do show some crazy things but this commercial I did not find humorous. I know breeders who turned away "buyers" when they said they wanted to tie a pony or mini to a tractor tire so it could graze.

People do silly things....and there is probably someone out there putting a pony on a Christmas list because "we can keep it in the backyard, just like the commercial" without a thought.

Just my humble opinion....

Denise

Silversong Farm


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