Maybe you could try to reach them through talking to them about the
importance of forensics at crime scenes.
CH
On Mar 1, 2012, at 2:26 PM, Jones, Joseph B wrote:
> Volvo's response also highlights how difficult it is to convince non-
> archaeologists about what is so wrong about these new shows (and the
> mindset that they represent). In short, as long as there are "no
> laws against it," there's no concern.
>
> JBJ
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> David Ingleman
> Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 5:03 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Report on National Geographic Channel "Diggers"
>
> Hello All,
>
> I contacted all 10 of these companies and so far have received
> responses from GEICO and Volvo (see below).
>
> -------------------
> From GEICO:
>
> <<Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. Let me assure you
> that we value your opinion and your business.
>
> We purchase our advertising through a national media buyer and it
> appears on television stations and radio stations throughout the
> entire country.
> GEICO has no contract with any specific show, station, or channel.
> GEICO does not take positions or endorse opinions on stations where
> our advertising is run.
>
> Thank you for using our online services; we appreciate your
> comments. If you need additional assistance, please don't hesitate
> to reply to this email. We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a
> week.
>
> Patrick Pilney
> GEICO Internet Team
> 1-800-861-8380>>
>
> and from Volvo:
>
> <<Thank you for contacting us here at Volvo Cars of North America.
> This is in response to your concerns regarding a Volvo TV spot that
> aired on the National Geographic channel, specifically during the
> show 'Diggers'. To date, only one Volvo national TV spot has aired
> during National Geographic's 'Diggers' and there are no further
> Volvo spots scheduled to air during this program. Be assured that
> Volvo is not promoting or condoning irresponsible handling of
> sensitive archeological dig sites, based on the airing of this
> single TV spot.
>
> We received feedback from National Geographic regarding this matter
> and have been told that "the individuals depicted in this program do
> in fact follow local regulations, including being invited by land
> owners onto their properties they visit and obtaining the requisite
> permissions. National Geographic, understanding your concerns, has
> included a disclaimer within the body of the program that reminds
> the audience that any such activities are subject to local and
> regional rules and regulations, and that legal permissions must be
> sought and authorities engaged before such activities can commence".
>
> We appreciate your feedback and thank you for allowing us the
> opportunity to respond.
>
> Best Regards,
> Donna Conway
> Volvo Customer Care>>
>
> -------------------
>
> Although the GEICO response seems to be simple PR speak, the one
> from Volvo indicates that they at least take it seriously enough to
> bring it up to National Geographic.
>
> Best,
>
> David Ingleman
>
> On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 3:27 PM, scarlett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Thanks to John for making these notes, as I didn't get to watch the
>> show.
>> My thoughts? Doe any of these people live in your neighborhood?
>> Contact these people and share copies of the SHA, AIA, SAA, RPA, and
>> other letters with them. I had time to research three of these
>> companies, in bold:
>>
>>> Consider this list: Verizon, iPhone S, Nationwide, GEICO, Mazda,
>>> Acura,
>> Volvo,
>>> Sam Adams, Heineken, and CSX Rail
>>
>> Apple:
>>
>>
>>
>> Philip w. Schiller
>> Senior Vice President
>> Worldwide Marketing
>>
>> Corporate Address
>> Apple
>> 1 Infinite Loop
>> Cupertino, CA 95014
>>
>> http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/philip-w-schiller.html
>>
>>
>>
>> Volvo Public Affairs Contact Us
>>
>> Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
>>
>> 1 Volvo Drive
>> Rockleigh
>> NJ
>> 07647
>> United States
>>
>> Phone: 1-800-970-0888
>>
>> Geno Effler
>> Contact For: United States
>> Title: Vice President, Public Affairs
>> Department: Public Affairs
>> Company: Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
>> Street: 1 Volvo Drive
>> Zip Code: 07647
>> City: Rockleigh, NJ
>> Country: United States
>> Phone: +1 201-784-4670
>> Mobile: -
>> Fax: -
>> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> Laura DiStefano
>> Contact For: United States
>> Title: Corporate Communications Manager
>> Department: Public Affairs
>> Company: Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
>> Street: 1 Volvo Drive
>> Zip Code: 07647
>> City: Rockleigh, NJ
>> Country: United States
>> Phone: +1 201-767-4834
>> Mobile: +1 201-245-8426
>> Fax: -
>> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> Jawanza Keita
>> Contact For: United States
>> Title: Manager
>> Department: Technology and Product Communications
>> Company: Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
>> Street: 1 Volvo Drive
>> Zip Code: 07647
>> City: Rockleigh, NJ
>> Country: United States
>> Phone: +1 201-784-4671
>> Mobile: -
>> Fax: -
>> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> Nora Hanson
>> Contact For: United States
>> Title: Coordinator
>> Department: Press Fleet Manage
>> Company: Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
>> Street: 1 Volvo Drive
>> Zip Code: 07647
>> City: Rockleigh, NJ
>> Country: United States
>> Phone: +1 760-438-2307
>> Mobile: -
>> Fax: -
>> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>> Heineken USA
>>
>> Lesya Lysyj
>> Chief Marketing Officer
>> Lesya Lysyj was appointed to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at
>> Heineken
>> USA in February 2011. Lysyj is responsible for developing long-term
>> marketing strategies for the Heineken USA beer portfolio; overseeing
>> Heineken USA's consumer centric marketing activities and social media
>> initiatives and ensuring that the company effectively engages with
>> its
>> adult consumers at all touch points.
>> http://www.heinekenusa.com/people_ll.aspx
>> http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lesya-lysyj/10/203/507
>>
>>
>> Heineken USA Corporate Office
>> 360 Hamilton Avenue
>> Suite 1103
>> White Plains, New York 10601
>> Telephone: 914.681.4100
>>
>> Heineken USA Marketing and Innovation Center
>> 245 Park Avenue
>> 40th Floor
>> New York, NY 10167
>> Telephone: 212.338.4880
>>
>> Heineken USA Northeast Region Office
>> 360 Hamilton Avenue
>> Suite 1103
>> White Plains, New York 10601
>> Telephone: 914.681.4100
>>
>> Heineken USA Southeast Region Office
>> 3343 Peachtree Road
>> Suite M-20
>> Atlanta, GA 30326
>> Telephone: 404.231.6300
>>
>> Heineken USA Central Region Office
>> 1901 Butterfield Road
>> Downers Grove, IL 60515
>> Telephone: 800.811.4967
>>
>> Heineken USA Western Region Office
>> 3780 Kilroy Airport Way
>> Suite 500
>> Long Beach, CA 90806
>> Telephone: 800.801.8411
>>
>> Heineken USA Washington Office
>> 1850 M Street, NW Suite 570
>> Washington, DC 20036
>> Telephone: 202.736.1333
>>
>>
>> Hillary Johnson
>> Community Relations Manager at Heineken USA Greater Atlanta Area
>> Consumer Goods http://www.linkedin.com/in/hillaryajohnson
>>
>>
>> On Feb 29, 2012, at 11:59 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Debriefing on the first episodes of "diggers" TV Shows from ACRA-L.
>>> Mike Polk
>>> Sagebrush Consultants
>>> Ogden, Utah
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: [log in to unmask]
>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Doershuk,
>>> John
>> F
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 8:51 AM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: ACRA-L - Report on National Geographic Channel "Diggers"
>>> Dear Colleagues:
>>> I watched both of the 30-minute episodes of "Diggers" broadcast
>> yesterday
>>> evening, although I barely made it through the second half-hour as
>>> I
>> found
>>> it becoming repetitively boring (and chock full of ads -- more on
>>> these, below). The show is typical Natl Geo style -- beautiful
>>> locations, good camera work, well-edited. But the "stars" -- the
>>> self-styled
>> "Ringmaster" and
>>> "King George," are buffoons-I shouldn't doubt that serious metal
>> detecting
>>> folks will not appreciate the caricatures. These two spend a great
>>> deal
>> of
>>> camera time relating their enthusiasm for finding "juice,"
>>> "nectar," and "roundness," all their terms for the buried
>>> "treasure" they excitedly
>> dig up. I
>>> didn't think their "discovery rush" translated all that well
>>> despite
>> their
>>> over-the-top efforts to whip the audience into a pot-hunting
>>> frenzy.
>>> There's also plenty of reality TV side-show antics, such as silly
>>> bets
>> between
>>> the two-e.g., who comes up with the oldest item-leading to the
>>> loser
>> having
>>> to complete a du
>>> mb stunt like riding a bicycle off a dock into a freezing cold lake
>> while
>>> in drag or licking a jellyfish washed up on the beach (I kid you
>>> not).
>>> Happily, there was zero mention of archaeology or science, and no
>>> effort at all trying to legitimate this activity as anything
>>> remotely
>> educational
>>> or additive to general knowledge. The term "artifacts" was never
>>> used
>> and
>>> "context" or why it's important was never brought up. The most
>>> damaging thing, I think, about this show is that no effort was made
>>> to document
>> where
>>> anything came from or discussion of associations-each discovered
>>> item
>> was
>>> handled piece-meal. Of course, "the past" and "history" were
>>> repeatedly
>> invoked
>>> as cool, interesting, but ultimately, simply a source of cash. In
>>> the first two minutes, the tone was set and the rest of the
>>> dialogue was
>>> unwavering: "we're obsessed," "a thousand ways to cash in," "wild
>>> west
>> loot -- we're
>>> going to get digging" [the first episode started in Montana -- "Old
>>> territorial prison grounds"], "so join the search," "let's plunder
>>> this
>> pokey." On
>>> and on.
>>> This show is 100 percent metal detecting with digging limited to
>>> near-surface garden troweling -- although one piece (from a South
>> Carolina
>>> plantation setting), had them unearthing an item from almost a foot
>> below the
>>> surface. The show was very scant on details about where they were
>> collecting,
>>> although terms like "we were invited" and the "the owner wants us
>>> to
>> find"
>>> were carefully inserted. The first episode was shot in Montana --
>>> as
>> noted at
>>> the old territorial prison where the "director" expressed the hope
>>> they would find "graves" as rumor holds that some inmates were
>>> interred on
>> the
>>> grounds (they weren't able to locate any). Then they switched
>>> locations
>> to a
>>> large private ranch (Chevallier). The second episode was set in
>>> South Carolina, first on James Island, "scene of many Civil War
>>> battles," and
>> then a
>>> brief stint on a beach of undisclosed location where modern coins
>>> and a
>> ring
>>> were found, and then to Fenwick Plantation where Revolutionary War
>>> and
>> War
>>> of 1812 buttons,
>>> bullets, and coins were recovered. Having spent the past two years
>>> in an
>>> (on-going) struggle to preserve against planned development the
>>> only
>> War of
>>> 1812 battlefield known in Iowa, it turned my stomach to see these
>>> two cavalierly pock-marking what was clearly a battlefield context
>>> with good integrity, selectively removing the metal items they
>>> happened to
>> detect-there
>>> wasn't even a semblance of concern shown for the benefits of being
>> systematic.
>>> In each episode, they pocket their take -- no mention of showing or
>> sharing
>>> with landowners, and then they sell some and the rest is apparently
>> kept,
>>> although again no mention is made of recording provenience or any
>>> such concerns. There was a disclaimer added at the end of the
>>> episode about following local regs and getting landowner permission.
>>> This hardly
>> mitigates the
>>> main message of the programming that comes through loud and clear:
>>> the
>> past is
>>> there for the taking, help yourselves like we do, preservation isn't
>>> even worth talking about.
>>> Cash, in the end, is what this show is about on two parallel
>>> levels.
>> First
>>> (and foremost re why made and shown) it's about advertising
>>> revenue.
>>> Consider this list: Verizon, iPhone S, Nationwide, GEICO, Mazda,
>>> Acura,
>> Volvo,
>>> Sam Adams, Heineken, and CSX Rail -- these are the majors. What
>>> strikes
>> me
>>> as especially telling is that the personas Ringmaster and King
>>> George project is anything but a Heineken-drinking, Volvo-driving,
>>> iPhone-using demographic. I'm not sure what to make of the
>>> combination of
>> bozo-behavior on a
>>> seemingly respectable, education-oriented channel like Natl Geo, but
>> maybe we
>>> are witnessing the descent of Natl Geo into the realm of unabashedly
>>> "whatever" programming. For the moment, they are a preferred venue
>>> for
>> Heineken
>>> and Volvo, but maybe in a year or two it will be Bud Light and
>>> Chevy.
>>> Secondly, the expressed driving motivation for Ringmaster and King
>> George is the
>>> cash value of the items they recover, plain and simple. I thought I
>> might
>>> learn something about the how-to aspect of metal detecting, pros
>>> and
>> cons
>>> of different equipment, etc., but this really wasn't the point any
>>> more
>> than
>>> being concerned about adversely impacting nonrenewable resources was
>>> the focus. Ironic that both CSX Rail and Mazda ran ads focused on
>>> the
>> importance
>>> of preserving the environment -- CSX promotes "Nature is spectacular
>>> -- let's keep it that way" while Mazda tied themselves to "The
>>> Lorax"
>> movie that
>>> is recently out (or about to be released).
>>> To close this overly lengthy report, I'll never intentionally watch
>>> this program again as there is simply nothing of value to it, not
>>> even
>> mindless
>>> entertainment. I hope this is the general response, and Natl Geo
>>> drops
>> it.
>>> After all, they can readily profit from their programming like
>>> "Doomsday Preppers" or "American Weed."
>>> John Doershuk
>>> State Archaeologist
>>> University of Iowa
>>> ACRA-L is a public listserv supported by the American Cultural
>>> Resources Association (ACRA), a non-profit trade association, for
>>> the use of the
>>> cultural resource management community. You do not need to
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>>> do
>> not
>>> necessarily represent the views of ACRA or of its members. For
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>>
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