New Alltel commercial: is it in bad taste?

Click here and form your own opinion.

IMO, they shouldn't have done it in this fashion considering what has happened recently.

It's perfectly fine.

First off, it is not a low-zone area. If you look closely, it is not fenced off or anything to the public. It's no worse than walking under Raptors first drop or even Manta. From the looks of it, there is a 6" curb separating that grass area and the midway. It is not a "public" area, no, but I am sure plenty of kids roam in that area and people wanting to take pictures and such. I doubt CF would allow them to go into unsafe areas to tape a commercial...

It's all in good humor, I think people should not be so critical and let it go.

What has happened recently?

Chitown said:
Click Here and form your own opinion.

Personally I feel Verizon's coverage is much better than Alltel's and having the "my circle" isnt enough to switch.

- Mr. Point Misser

What exactly is it in bad taste for? I don't get your point.

Maybe I looked at it wrong but it seems a family is in a restricted area trying to gather items that fell from the riders.

With past incidents of people getting injured and killed going into restricted areas, it just seemed awkward to watch a commercial showing this.

Oh well. :)

I believe the scene when the mother catches the retainer and the father picks up the sunglasses implies that they are in a restricted area. Also, I am 99% sure that is the Silver Bullet in that commercial. It looks like they are sitting underneath the Cobra Roll. In reality there is no grass area there, it is actually paved and it is restricted. But it's all in fun, I'm not offended.

Restricted area? A fence is clearly visible between the kids and the coaster.

Yeah, I don't think that's implied at all. They're not really close to the ride at all. Besides, that's Knott's, right? Do you really think they'd allow that?

The coaster is right above them.

Yes that is Silver Bullet, and yes that is a restricted area of the ride, but I doubt that it was actually shot on-site, probably green screened. Anyway, I personally believe the commercial to be in fun, but I do agree that it probably was not the most ideal idea for a commercial at this time.

I feel the same way. Obviously the commercial is in fun and it comically gets their message across to promote their product.

I saw it on T.V. a couple days ago and was just like whoa. I started thinking about the death at SFOG with the teenager getting struck by a Beemer invert (which crazy enough, this commercial also showcases a Beemer invert.)

From what has been discussed here and from what I read on some other sites, the family was infact not physically under the ride. It was computer generated in so we can stop this notion of CF wouldn't put people in danger.

Like I said, just a little awkward but otherwise, it's all good.

Yeah, I figured it was computer generated since that grass area the family is in doesn't actually exist.

I don't see at all how this is in bad taste. It's just goofy.

Bad taste would be if the family got kicked in the head and the Alltel guy looted their bodies. (Might find a cell phone for +5 charisma so it might be worth it, though.)

I think the entire case that Chitown is making is that it implies they're in a low zone. Most people don't even know what a low zone is, and to set up that context or make that implication, they'd have to show them behind a fence with danger signs or something.

The shot is in a low zone, and it looks like it's rudimentary matte work. Especially given that Silver Bullet cannot dispatch trains as frequently as they are appearing in the spot.

My guess is that they pulled the fence (easy to do with that type of fence) and shot with stationary cameras, then matted it all together.

In order to pull off the gag, they HAD to be in a low zone, otherwise the coaster would be so far from the people that it would not be obvious what was going on.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Tempest in a teapot. It's cute, interesting, and it furthers the story arc of the New Chad. Nobody else beside we enthusiasses is even going to pay it (low zone violations in a commercial) a moment's thought.

All irrelevant, Dave. Joe TV watcher wouldn't know any of that.

robotfactory said:
Bad taste would be if the family got kicked in the head and the Alltel guy looted their bodies.

It'd also make a much more entertaining commercial. :)

They're sitting between the overbank and the cobra roll. Trains are way too high to touch. The grass was added for the commercial. Normally that's a walkway.