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This is the most obnoxious advertising I've seen in a while. (Posted to Seattle Metblogs)

Edit: Can someone point me to where this photo is linked? 4,000+ views in less than 2 hours is pretty exciting.

Edit: Hi Reddit. Hi Popurls.

Almost 78,000 views in 24 hours. Wow.

Hi Consumerist

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Comments

Erik Ferguson says:

Ads like that make me sad. Mostly because I know too many people who would see this ad and not understand why it makes me sad.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

kaosushijin says:

I hate having to explain it. "Do you really believe that just because the advertising tells you something that it's true?"

Like I heard on the radio a while ago "A (insert name here) scratch-off is the best gift for this holiday season!" and I screamed and had to turn off the radio, because it was just so offensive.

For the men who believe that buying a ring will make a woman happy, I feel even worse for the women who base their happiness on a ring.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

urb andy says:

reddit.com
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

gr8whitesavage says:

www.reddit.com/info/6mmzt/comments/
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

~wesa~ says:

Thank you.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

FrouFrouBijou.com says:

I wrote them a letter...hehehe

"I am appalled by your advertisement seen here:
www.flickr.com/photos/wesaturtle/2563481112/i n/pool-consu...

I hate diamonds. Diamonds cause bloodshed in African countries.

And to think someone I love, believes I care for them for materialistic value is absurd and brings on the stereotype that all women and Americans are materialistic and consumerist.

thank you very much for carrying on the female stereotype,

p.s. that ad of yours is very popular on reddit...and not for positive reasons."
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

~wesa~ says:

"Them" being E.E. Robbins? Wow!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Vote For Summer says:

Not nearly as obnoxious as the one that said "Wouldn't you rather give her this [ring] than that embarassing song you wrote?" I hate the diamond industry with a passion.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

soapergem says:

Makes me want to watch "Blood Diamond" again
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

alexkolozvary says:

popurls.com!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Tom Farrell says:

How is this any different from any other diamond advertising? It's always trying to indicate "if you give her a diamond she'll love you", or "if you give her a diamond you'll get laid". And it's always advertised to heterosexuals.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

linder_seattle says:

I've always thought EE Robbins radio ads were particularly bad and usually condescending (so much so that I made a point of not going to their store when we were shopping for our wedding rings a few years ago). This just seems like m-o-s - more of the same.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

chbrules says:

This reminds me of the Ford dealership here in CA that went on a non-christian bashing spree on the radio.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

milezs says:

A link to this picture has appeared on reddit.com, which is likely from where many of your visitors have come.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

SmilingMonk says:

The protected capitalism currently practiced in the US has well learned how to make, control, and then pull the strings that "encourage" people to act like so many of Pavlov's dogs.

Think and act free or unconsciously consume. It takes a wee bit of waking up to see.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

fuuung says:

reddit =)
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

benschiendelman says:

I saw this on a bus a few days ago and was also taken aback. Bad marketing on their part.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

whaling_giants says:

seriously its just an ad; get over it

I actually just bought a 30K ring (cash btw)....now on the count of 3, why don't all of you bitch about that, oh and dont forget about the price of gas .........wah wah wah

=)
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

~wesa~ says:

$30K is the average price of a wedding these days. Pathetic.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Insanely out of control says:

whaling_giants:

I hope she loves you that much.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Paul Wilcock says:

Ha! My fiance didn't even want a ring, we decided that we'd rather spend the ring money on a couple of weeks in the Greek Islands.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

hollywoodchad7 [deleted] says:

Reddit.... The ultimate source for your LOLCAT news. Thats how I got here anyway.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

frogger414 says:

I think they're talking about the idea of marriage. And I wasn't "sort of happy" I was elated when Zach proposed. The ad is not bad at all.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

ianbayne says:

You can see where views are coming from by clicking on "Your Stats" under "You".
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

SlideOut Trey says:

I rather cut off my own finger and give it to her.. Eff it
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

greaterfalls says:

Wow. Amazing to see so many people who dislike this ad. People, get a life. It's JUST AN AD. Nobody is forcing you to buy a ring. Nobody is forcing you to share the values that you believe this ad promotes. Nobody is forcing you to support what you call "blood diamonds."
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

William.Winters [deleted] says:

greaterfalls and frogger414

There are other people that need to live in this world, people who care more about the hollowing of society. That's why you are seeing such negative comments.

Congratulations to you and Zach. You should return the ring, donate the money to your favorite charity, and just trust that he loves you.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

ej00807 says:

Don't be two amazed, I personally think most people would strongly dislike this. I mean, who is the ad agency and what are they smoking?

If you really wanted to make her happy you would get her a car so she didn't have to take the damn bus.

Yes, I know one of those 30k ring types. I'm so glad to have found out her true colors - GOLD and and opaque.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

leviathan3k says:

This is not just an ad. It is representative of a mindset promoted by a rather nasty small segment of society that suggests the only way to actually make someone happy and celebrate a marriage is a shiny rock.

The diamond cartels have, for this and the better part of the last century, promoted this idea in order to sell diamonds for far more than they're actually worth. This works *precisely* because the vast majority of people are bombarded with the idea. This one ad is a symbol of this bit of media manipulation, and *that* is why it is so hated.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

brtw2 says:

Hi! just browsing from reddit while listening to kucinish
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Jason Gulledge says:

"diamonds. She'll pretty much have to"

www.reddit.com/info/6mmzt/comments/
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

icarus' wings says:

uhmm I loved 'Blood Diamond' the movie too, but isn't saying diamonds kill people in Africa something like saying Oil kills people in the middle east, thus leading to sanctions against exports in countries like Iraq killing hundreds of thousands of children and poor people by starvation (a peace crime, the opposite of a war crime).

Oil, or diamonds are important natural resources, that help these countries make money. What kills people is feudal warlord-ism that occured in the power vaccum left when colonials left. Unlike what westerners think, that is a problem that will, and is, going away...just takes some time.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

FrouFrouBijou.com says:

they haven't written back!!! those mofos!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

=_/\_= says:

Screw this company
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

atomicthumbs says:

Is that a school bus?
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

BrokenBat says:

I lucked out. My soon to be wife needed to talk me down to a $400 ring. And I thought I was cheap.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

~wesa~ says:

atomicthumbs-it's Seattle's public bus transportation: Metro.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

gleemie says:

All diamond ads are douchey like that - buy a rock, get laid.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

clpo13 says:

I don't see the problem. I'm jaded in a different way than most people, though. When I look at the ad, I see an ad. Nothing more. It doesn't particularly make me want to buy a diamond ring. It doesn't make me think of consumerism and how bigger is better. To me, it's just an ad on the side of a bus. If you want to read more into it, that's your prerogative, but you'll have to pardon me if I don't buy into the idea that ads are inherently bad. If a person blows $30,000 on a diamond ring because an ad told them to, that's their problem, not mine. Believe it or not, I'm the one in control of what I purchase.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

iChristos says:

Oh well, at least it supports public transport. :)
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

theycallmetak says:

Thanks for sharing this. If you don't think too much about it it won't hurt so much. Honestly I think I die a little inside when I see stuff like this.

There's nothing wrong with money or having it. I'd like some more. It's not even about "blood diamonds". My SA friend says it hasn't been like that in a while where he was at and I believe him.

The ad's not talking about marriage. It's talking about money. And it's not talking to the people who are in the market for 30k rings either. People like that already have jewelers.

Again, thanks for sharing.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Craig ! says:

The amazing thing is how shallow the roots of this tradition are (didn't really become a big deal until after the first world war) - amazing how it is so deeply ingrained now that people would almost not consider getting married without one.

www.slate.com/id/2167870/

Wesa, just a note that you can actually see where your traffic is coming from via the "You", "Your Stats" menu.

Cheers (rhymes with DeBeers)
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

james94103 says:

reporting in to legendary photo
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Fort Photo says:

How about 76k views! Major congrats and thanks for sharing your find.

--
Seen on reddit.com (?)
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

rockstar1o9 says:

Digg got a hold of it too but it looks like the submitter linked to his own site.

digg.com/arts_culture/The_Most_Obnoxious_Ad_E VER
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

~wesa~ says:

I saw that. Irritating. Bury it!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

ERIK98122 says:

woah!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

triterion says:

Linked here from consumerist.com !
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

ryan_marsh says:

Some people like nice things. There's nothing wrong with that.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

{MPG} says:

when i saw this ad a few days, my immediate response was wherez the spray can when i need it (including for the increasing number of buses with rush limbaugh's photoshoped face plastered on them!) this was one reason my husband and i did not have an engagement or a ring...feed into capitalist consumer frenzy of diamonds! o yea don't forget valentine's day!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

maartenvd says:

Funny, saw this on Consumerist and thought, "Is that the same Wesa...?"

I saw one from the same series that said something like "Average guys buy average diamonds." Decided then & there that we won't be shopping at EE Robbins.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

sabinedevos says:

"How is this any different from any other diamond advertising? It's always trying to indicate "if you give her a diamond she'll love you", or "if you give her a diamond you'll get laid". And it's always advertised to heterosexuals. "

A while back they tried to appeal to the single 30-ish carreer woman too. "Rock your right hand" with a pun on rock, get it? So you can show you're independent and wealthy enough to not need a man and you can spend your own $30k on shinies, but put it on the non engagement hand so you can still attract potential mate. Tran-spa-rent.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

davemmett says:

it's also linked from haha.nu
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

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Comments

Erik Ferguson says:

kaosushijin says:

urb andy says:

gr8whitesavage says:

~wesa~ says:

FrouFrouBijou.com says:

~wesa~ says:

Vote For Summer says:

soapergem says:

alexkolozvary says:

Tom Farrell says:

linder_seattle says:

chbrules says:

milezs says:

SmilingMonk says:

fuuung says:

benschiendelman says:

whaling_giants says:

~wesa~ says:

Insanely out of control says:

Paul Wilcock says:

hollywoodchad7 [deleted] says:

frogger414 says:

ianbayne says:

SlideOut Trey says:

greaterfalls says:

William.Winters [deleted] says:

ej00807 says:

leviathan3k says:

brtw2 says:

Jason Gulledge says:

icarus' wings says:

FrouFrouBijou.com says:

=_/\_= says:

atomicthumbs says:

BrokenBat says:

~wesa~ says:

gleemie says:

clpo13 says:

iChristos says:

theycallmetak says:

Craig ! says:

james94103 says:

Fort Photo says:

rockstar1o9 says:

~wesa~ says:

ERIK98122 says:

triterion says:

ryan_marsh says:

{MPG} says:

maartenvd says:

sabinedevos says:

davemmett says:

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