Radio Stations Refuse To Run Shoney's 'Passing Gas' Ads

[matcom]

<snip>

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Two New Orleans radio stations apparently don't think there's anything funny about passing Gas.

Marketing folks for Shoney's thought they had come up with a humorous radio spot promoting the restaurant's breakfast buffet. A driver ticks off middle America towns with odd-sounding names -- Two Egg, Fla., Weiner, Ark., and Sweet Lips, Tenn. -- noting there are Shoney's along the way.

"Pretty soon down the road when you're passing Gas, you'll be glad you stopped," the announcer says before a brief pause. "What? Gas, Kansas, you sicko. I can't believe you went there."

Dan Burgess, public relations director at Doe Anderson, the Louisville, Ky., advertising firm that created the ad, said New Orleans stations OWLMG and WTKL chose not to run the spot.

"We thought the ad was a little cute, but we didn't think it would get banned," he said. "Especially in New Orleans, which is not the most conservative of places."

Officials at the two stations, both owned by Entercom, did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Dan Dahlen, senior vice president of marketing for Nashville-based Shoney's, said restaurant officials think the ad is "hilarious."

Even people in Gas -- population 530 -- aren't put off.

"We're actually so used to this kind of thing, it's almost second nature," city clerk Rozanne Hutton said.

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/4634970/detail.html

[bmbmd]

1. I dropped sixty something bucks last week

to feed my family at a Shoney's is Alexandria, La. I told my wife that it was a mistake, but we ate there anyway. Next time, I'll just take a sharp stick in the eye. Worst meal ever, anywhere, anytime.
Rather than cutesy but disgusting advertising, they should just work on improving their product.

[Dukkha]

2. Didn't KFC just run a crude ad that got pulled

I heard that somewhere