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The ad man probably came from the non-railroading side of Kalmbach. Sigh.
Their list of magazines:
American Snowmobiler Art Jewelry Astronomy Bead&Button BeadStyle Birder's World Classic Trains Classic Toy Trains FineScale Modeler Garden Railways Model Railroader Model Retailer Scale Auto Trains The Writer
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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"Don't try this at home".
RRCHINA Member # 1514
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They have pulled it with APOLOGIES.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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Here is the email they sent out after their major screw-up:
"Earlier today our promotional team distributed a Father's Day e-mail advertisement for our magazines, depicting a father and child walking along a railroad track. The photograph was highly inappropriate, and we apologize for including it in the ad. The editorial staffs of Trains, Classic Trains, Model Railroader, Classic Toy Trains and Garden Railways are dedicated to promoting railroad safety in all our efforts and we truly regret the use of this photo.
The Publishers"
notelvis Member # 3071
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quote:Originally posted by smitty195: Here is the email they sent out after their major screw-up:
"Earlier today our promotional team distributed a Father's Day e-mail advertisement for our magazines, depicting a father and child walking along a railroad track. The photograph was highly inappropriate, and we apologize for including it in the ad. The editorial staffs of Trains, Classic Trains, Model Railroader, Classic Toy Trains and Garden Railways are dedicated to promoting railroad safety in all our efforts and we truly regret the use of this photo.
The Publishers"
Sometimes the true measure of a company is what they do to correct a mistake rather than whether or not a mistake is made in the first place......
Kudos to the folks who caught this and took corrective steps so quickly.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Not so fast; as of a few moments ago, the link Mr. Kisor provided appears to be quite active.
Geoff M Member # 153
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GBN, if you look a little more closely you'll see it's a mail attachment, not a "live link" as such. Kalmach likely have zero control over such content once set free into WWW land.
Geoff M.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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I had thought about killing the thread after we have discussed it thoroughly, but won't the Railforum thread still be out there in the bitsphere? As well as all other killed threads?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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If such be the case, Mr. Mayo, then Kalmbach cannot really kill it. All too often in internetland, it appears that once the Genie is out of the bottle, you can't put it back.
What's worse is that the track would appear to be FRA Class IV (freight 60 pass 80); this is not some abandoned ROW.One thing is the photo was taken here, but such was not the case.
I wonder if the models, especially the child, knew to what extent their personal safety was jeapordized.
While I'm not one those 'for the principle of it" types who would cease doing further business with Kalmbach (I think we have a few of such around here), but I do think that they should have exercised more dilligence in their relationship with the ad agency who produced that material and in all likelihood "didn't know any better".
Finally, since like Mr. Kisor, I am also a Comcast cable subscriber and a TRAINS Newswire registrant, I'm surprised I didn't get exposed to such. Maybe it came through "pictures blocked" and I killed it before bothering to open it.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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GBN, if you are a Trains Newswire $ub$criber, you probably did not get the email because it was, I think, intended for non-subscribers (like me) who just get the headlines, not the actual stories.
I really should renew my Trains subscription, but not my Model Railroader sub -- I'm afraid I'd get back into the hobby, with expensive results. Already have two costly pastimes, aviation and photography.
Railroad Bob Member # 3508
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It's the most expensive mag I get at $42.95/year. I get car and motorcycle mags for $6-10 a year, maximum. The picture is still there in your link, Henry. Like GBN pointed out, they're walking on an active, high speed line. Personally I would never do that- in the "death zone" between the gauge. Looks like maybe a UK line, due to the type of vertical bolt tie downs of the rail to the "sleepers." Geoff, we Yanks have always called them "ties."
notelvis Member # 3071
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quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: GBN, if you are a Trains Newswire $ub$criber, you probably did not get the email because it was, I think, intended for non-subscribers (like me) who just get the headlines, not the actual stories.
I really should renew my Trains subscription, but not my Model Railroader sub -- I'm afraid I'd get back into the hobby, with expensive results. Already have two costly pastimes, aviation and photography.
I am a trains subscriber, newswire registered, and I did receive the email. I had not had the time to look at it until late last night by which time the apology was in box as well.
One question - any chance that this ad was the result of 'photoshopping' and that the man and child were not actually walking on a railroad? Perhaps they were just walking on a sidewalk and the image of the tracks was added later?
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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That's a good question, David. But it might be hard to answer. I suspect it's real, because . . .
The slight shadows under the feet of the man and boy are consistent with the lighting.
The depth of field of sharpness along the ties and grass suggests that the photographer used a fairly large aperture to focus on a subject right in the plane of the man and boy. If it had been a general view looking down tracks, the camera's aperture perhaps would have been much smaller to achieve greatest possible depth of field.
Going "pixel peeping" to examine individual pixels might yield the truth but I don't know enough about Photoshop alteration to hazard an opinion here.
In any case it would be very easy to take a couple of models to a railroad track to shoot the photo, with lookouts to warn of oncoming trains. Doesn't seem that there's much reason not to.
Geoff M Member # 153
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quote:Originally posted by myself: GBN, if you look a little more closely you'll see it's a mail attachment, not a "live link" as such. Kalmach likely have zero control over such content once set free into WWW land.
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: If such be the case, Mr. Mayo, then Kalmbach cannot really kill it. All too often in internetland, it appears that once the Genie is out of the bottle, you can't put it back.
As they say, imitation is the sincerest flattery. Or, put another way, by repeating myself I assume you agree?
Geoff M.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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The point has been noted over at "nod nod wink wink" land as well that the image could have been created by using "Photo Shop' software, which would mean that the models were not in any kind of jeapordy.
If such be the case, fine; but I still cannot condone the action of Kalmbach Publishing Company for sanctioning the use of such (if there was no final review of the ad copy by staff associated with the railroad related publications, then that inaction constituted a sanction). In this world, all too often "life imitates art'.
Geoff M Member # 153
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I take silence as a resounding "YES!" then.
Having thought about earlier posts as to whether the photo was perhaps Photoshopped (other image software is available), I don't think it makes any difference: it's the message it sends that is at issue, not the method used to take it.
Geoff M.
notelvis Member # 3071
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quote:Originally posted by Geoff M: I take silence as a resounding "YES!" then.
Having thought about earlier posts as to whether the photo was perhaps Photoshopped (other image software is available), I don't think it makes any difference: it's the message it sends that is at issue, not the method used to take it.
Geoff M.
This is true......the photoshopping question, at the end of the day, is splitting hairs.
Someone at Kalmbach should have known better....someone apparantly did and caught it.....just not soon enough.
Dakguy201 Member # 10360
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I received both the offending ad and the apology. As I recall, there was only a five hour time difference between the two. I thought that was record time for a publication to admit an error and attempt to put it right.
I could add editorial comment regarding newspapers who commit error in headline sized type and bury the correction on page 40 next week, but that might not be relevant.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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The ad appeared in e-mail boxes; it was yanked and retracted within five hours so reports Mr. DakGuy. I never saw the likes of such, but then what I pay Comcast in "Kings Ransom', I expect "filters' to work. I had too many years of "internet unvarnished" with my previous ISP; Chicagonet. "General Patrice Lumamba in Darkest Africa...." was the least of it.
But what is astounding is that THE Magazine of Railroading has, or chooses to have, so little control over their ad copy. This is a publication that I have "always looked up to', even in the post-DPM era, for the close to sixty years I have been reading it.
However, we all know irresponsible advertising abounds out there. Other instances of advertising that I consider irresponsible simply because life imitates art are any advertisements that depict autos being driven in an aggressive manner - and there are plenty of those out there over which to spread the blame. Away from autos, I find one sponsored by JPMorgan Chase NA to be quite irresponsible. That is one which shows a "single Mom' at a mall with her two "tweenie" daughters. Mom's cell phone rings, daughters think the caller is Mom's boyfriend who neither apparently have much use for, Mom then says 'that was Chase texting my balance; Ladies, let's go shopping".
Whatever happened to the parameters I always told my clients during twenty one years in practice as a CPA - plan, execute, account - were the building blocks of sound household financial management - and the tripe noted coming from a bank rather than a retailer!!!!
But alas, I'll concede it could have been worse; as would be the case with an ad for a credit card issuer texting a cardholder with their available credit line.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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Perhaps it is "plan what you're buying", execute it (buy it), then "account for it later", ie pay off your credit cards and debts with interest.
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