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“Your Superhero is Smoking?”

Written by | April 20, 2010 | 48 comments

It’s my first day doing social media for Supercool ad agency, and I get this tweet regarding our logo from @garyploski, a theater/film actor from Prospect, CT:

“Your superhero… is smoking? That’s not really cool.”

So, I’m new, but I said screw it and I took Gary’s concern up with management and here’s the deal.

If Supercool Creative gets 500 tweets telling us the logo is no good we’ll change it… on our business cards, letterhead, websites, social networking sites… everything.

So support Gary Ploski from Prospect, CT  and send a tweet to @SupercoolAgency saying Change your Logo! #LoseTheCig. Stay tuned and I’ll let you know when we get close!

SupercoolCreative William Chamberlain

William Chamberlain
Social Media Strategist and Web Producer
@chamberlainwill

  • http://garyploski.com Gary Ploski

    Well met William and Super Cool Creative! Well met indeed!

  • http://garyploski.com Gary Ploski

    Well met William and Super Cool Creative! Well met indeed!

  • http://topsy.com/trackback?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2&url=http://supercoolcreative.com/2010/04/20/your-superhero-is-smoking/ Tweets that mention “Your Superhero is Smoking?” | Supercool Creative Online Video Creative, Production, Viral Video and Social Media Marketing In Los Angeles — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by alysonjane, William Chamberlain and Gary Ploski, Gary Ploski. Gary Ploski said: Get rid of the cig! "Your Superhero is Smoking?" – http://bit.ly/aj62Ae (via @supercoolagency) [...]

  • http://WebsiteURL Laura Strachan

    Lose the cigarette!

  • http://www.riotcomputertechnology.com JONATHAN KLEIN

    Yes, it is not cool that you have a superhero who is smoking in your ad. I believe that ads with cigarette smoking were stopped many years ago, and having your superhero smoke in the ad is not within those guidelines.

  • http://www.riotcomputertechnology.com JONATHAN KLEIN

    Yes, it is not cool that you have a superhero who is smoking in your ad. I believe that ads with cigarette smoking were stopped many years ago, and having your superhero smoke in the ad is not within those guidelines.

  • http://vautecouture.com Leanne Hilgart

    I don’t have twitter so I hope this counts! Gary is so right!

    Change your logo, lose the cig!!!

  • http://vautecouture.com Leanne Hilgart

    I don’t have twitter so I hope this counts! Gary is so right!

    Change your logo, lose the cig!!!

  • http://www.twolia.com/blogs/livin-veg/ Alyson

    Doing my best to get you guys to change your logo! I used to like cigs…until I got cancer. Then it all seemed sort of suicidal. And superheroes are generally not suicidal.

    Plus cigs = cool?! I don’t think so!

  • http://www.twolia.com/blogs/livin-veg/ Alyson

    Doing my best to get you guys to change your logo! I used to like cigs…until I got cancer. Then it all seemed sort of suicidal. And superheroes are generally not suicidal.

    Plus cigs = cool?! I don’t think so!

  • http://WebsiteURL Dave B

    Cigarettes haven’t been cool in 30 years. Lose the butt.

  • http://manhattanactress.blogspot.com Kate

    Yep, cigs are so out.

  • http://manhattanactress.blogspot.com Kate

    Yep, cigs are so out.

  • http://www.twitter.com/chrissypeters90 christina

    Will you rock!

  • http://www.twitter.com/chrissypeters90 christina

    Will you rock!

  • http://WebsiteURL Sarah Saldana

    I had a granny that smoked four packs of ciggs for years she had her whole house turn to tar, dressers, teeth, clothes you name it her hair even. It was gross, smoking is not cool and it’s awful.

    My boyfriend smokes too but he is thinking of quitting and has been trying but it’s hard, and i think i don’t want him to die before we even have the chance to have children i would like him to be around and second hand smoke also kills!

    how can you save someone if your smoking.. how can a HERO smoke .. it would be as arbitrary as McGruff doing drugs. Hero’s are suppose to save lives.. ciggy’s don’t.

    I personally think that it would be an expensive thing to do but i think it would be well worth it in the end to make the change encourage greatness!!!

  • http://WebsiteURL Kit

    Please lose the cig. It’s not healthy for you, and it’s not healthy for our children. Don’t send the message that smoking is what superheroes do.

  • http://WebsiteURL Theresa

    Logo with smoking superhero is not cool.Gary reaching out and your response as a company both really cool. hope to see the new logo soon

  • http://www.yorickbrown.com Yorick

    Smoking cigarettes is a personal choice indeed, but the promotion of such in a corporate logo is so 1980′s.

    Wait a sec…is that a cigarette or a joint?

    Yup, ya gotta lose the cig. Misperception regarding a corporate stance is a serious thing indeed.

  • http://www.yorickbrown.com Yorick

    Smoking cigarettes is a personal choice indeed, but the promotion of such in a corporate logo is so 1980′s.

    Wait a sec…is that a cigarette or a joint?

    Yup, ya gotta lose the cig. Misperception regarding a corporate stance is a serious thing indeed.

  • http://WebsiteURL Stephanie

    I can’t believe how much hype this is getting on Twitter! I just searched #losethecig and there are PAGES of tweets about it! lol awessome

  • http://WebsiteURL Rob

    I’m with Gary on this one, lose the cig.

    But I also agree with whoever it was ahead of me that commented about how cool it is that you are having a civil and tongue-in-cheek discourse over it. Very cool indeed.

  • http://WebsiteURL Pam

    No Super Hero or Heroin is that foolish. If they face dangerous situations, it is to save. Cigarettes kill. Stomp that cigarette out. You represent something this country is fighting against. Hollywood is doing its best to change the smoking “follow the leader” routine. Do you really want to encourage smoking, cancer, lung disease and more?

  • http://WebsiteURL Keith

    The Comedian from Watchmen smoked cigars as well as Hellboy. Bruce Wayne has been known to smoke a pipe Charles Xavier and Reed Richards did to. What about Nick Fury? With the knowledge that Superheros have smoked in the past and will probably be some that do in the future, I can’t tell you that I care to much about the subject. What I can tell you is that Gary Ploski asked me to come here and tell you a smoking Superhero is just wrong and since I have no loyalty to you or Superheros in general and a shit-ton for Gary I am doing so.

  • http://enginieeredinreverse.blogspot.com Lukas Fauset

    Thank you, Keith, for supporting Gary.

    I think while you make a good point about the Comedian, Hellboy, etc., I don’t think any of their publishers have ever gone out and said: “This is the image of cool.” They give the readers characters, and the reader is forced to choose what they like about every character, as well as what we don’t. I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who thinks the Comedian is entirely cool, for example.

    With a company name like ‘SuperCoolCreative’, the implication is that their designs have ‘cool’ in mind. It’s not a far jump to say that ‘SuperCoolCreative’ is marketing for smoking as well.

  • http://enginieeredinreverse.blogspot.com Lukas Fauset

    Thank you, Keith, for supporting Gary.

    I think while you make a good point about the Comedian, Hellboy, etc., I don’t think any of their publishers have ever gone out and said: “This is the image of cool.” They give the readers characters, and the reader is forced to choose what they like about every character, as well as what we don’t. I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who thinks the Comedian is entirely cool, for example.

    With a company name like ‘SuperCoolCreative’, the implication is that their designs have ‘cool’ in mind. It’s not a far jump to say that ‘SuperCoolCreative’ is marketing for smoking as well.

  • http://WebsiteURL Keith

    Thanks Lukas,

    Cool is relative. And I think it is cool to support Gary.

  • http://WebsiteURL Dan Lombardi

    Yeah, drop the cig…. not cool at all. Showing kids that a superhero is smoking is not the example we want to set.

  • http://www.dealsbyjos.com Joshua Foster

    Lose the cig. Not cool at all. It would look much better without. Thanks

  • http://www.dealsbyjos.com Joshua Foster

    Lose the cig. Not cool at all. It would look much better without. Thanks

  • http://lgbttobacco.wordpress.com/2010/05/12/its-a-superhero-sized-social-media-throwdown-can-you-help/ It’s a superhero sized social media throwdown, can you help? « The Network

    [...] focused, they decided to make it a challenge. See the short story of it in Will’s own words here. The offending [...]

  • http://garyploski.com/supercoolagency-losethecig @SupercoolAgency #LoseTheCig | Gary Ploski .com-ing µ!

    [...] Creative challenged me to get 500 people to RT in their blog post: Your superhero is smoking? In it William Chamberlain wrote: If Supercool Creative gets 500 tweets telling us the logo is no [...]

  • http://WebsiteURL carole

    Lose the cigarette!!!

  • http://www.danya.com Audrey Spolarich

    Great campaign. Women of this campaign, also go to the NCI video contest for smoke free women and enter your story. http://budurl.com/smokefreecontest

    Thanks,
    TobaccoTweets

  • http://www.danya.com Audrey Spolarich

    Great campaign. Women of this campaign, also go to the NCI video contest for smoke free women and enter your story. http://budurl.com/smokefreecontest

    Thanks,
    TobaccoTweets

  • http://techrights.org/2010/05/18/linux-2-6-34-is-out/ Links 18/5/2010: Linux 2.6.34 is Out, Desktop Summit 2011 Extends Deadline | Techrights

    [...] “Your Superhero is Smoking?” So, I’m new, but I said screw it and I took Gary’s concern up with management and here’s the deal. [...]

  • http://WebsiteURL david egilman md mph

    this is a moderately clever albeit cynical way to draw attention to your company.

  • http://Don'thaveawebsite. Howard Singer

    The whole machine of which you are a part is nauseating. I am astounded at myself for bothering to take you, your logo, your supercool idea, your cheap involvement in the great social stupidity of public relations seriously. You and your ilk can all go to hell.

  • http://WebsiteURL CEO Pipe Organs/Golden Ponds Farm

    I know a woman who is about to celebrate her fortieth birthday. Physically, she is about seventy. She has smoked cigarettes most of her life.

  • http://happydayfireworks.shawwebspace.ca amfriesen

    i have done my part and tweeted; i agree with all the above comments; i wouldn’t marry my husband until he stopped smoking cigarettes

  • http://happydayfireworks.shawwebspace.ca amfriesen

    i have done my part and tweeted; i agree with all the above comments; i wouldn’t marry my husband until he stopped smoking cigarettes

  • http://www.auterytech.com/ Steve

    Great campaign. Women of this campaign, also go to the NCI video contest for smoke free women and enter your story. http://budurl.com/smokefreecontest

    Thanks,
    TobaccoTweets

  • http://www.auterytech.com/ Steve

    Great campaign. Women of this campaign, also go to the NCI video contest for smoke free women and enter your story. http://budurl.com/smokefreecontest

    Thanks,
    TobaccoTweets

  • http://happyrain.org/ Emily

    i have done my part and tweeted; i agree with all the above comments; i wouldn’t marry my husband until he stopped smoking cigarettes

  • http://happyrain.org/ Emily

    i have done my part and tweeted; i agree with all the above comments; i wouldn’t marry my husband until he stopped smoking cigarettes

  • http://www.markzonder.com/ Amy

    [...] “Your Superhero is Smoking?” So, I’m new, but I said screw it and I took Gary’s concern up with management and here’s the deal. [...]

  • http://www.markzonder.com/ Amy

    [...] “Your Superhero is Smoking?” So, I’m new, but I said screw it and I took Gary’s concern up with management and here’s the deal. [...]

  • http://twitter.com/tracysestili Tracy Sestili

    So show me your new business cards and stationary. I’d like a photo of the proof that it was really removed.