The advertising hot shots had a field day in creating the Monster.com ad that appeared during the Super Bowl to recruit truck drivers. It showed a driverless tractor-trailer careening past a diner. Inside sat an unemployed truck driver. The truck slams into an immovable object and explodes into flames. And guess what? The trucking industry actually complained about that. Some might say it was one of the most eye-catching ads in the game, second only to Budweiser's animal sports referee.
Was it overkill for the industry to make a fuss? Absolutely not! We are taking great care to maximize safety on the highway. We are keeping rig and driver under careful watch to see that neither is worn out. We take great pride in the professionalism of those who drive trucks. And the image left by that commercial with millions of sports watchers was completely unacceptable.
Shock TV is taking great liberties with the reality shows that seem to consume the networks. Makes one wonder when the Christians and the Lions will be next. And now that approach seems to have crossed over into the commercial area.
Monster.com, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. If you wanted to create a go-to image for yourself for drivers seeking jobs, you sure blew it. Maybe you would do well to research the industry you seek to serve, better than that.
Show how trucking firms are bending over backwards to ensure safety and security of those sharing the highway with us, and you may stand a chance recruiting truck drivers. The image you showed would only appeal to the suicidal!
Sincerely,
Scott Keyer
Scott Keyer
DOT Compliance Officer and Safety Engineer
Fredericksburg, VA
