It’s a dog eat dog world in Mesa
Let me be clear that I am typically not a very big fan of PR gimmicks. For the most part, if you have real news to share journalists will respond based on the merits of the story. That being said, if your news is…shall we say…a little soft…a sense of humor can go a long way.
Enter Dave Wilson, Downtown Mesa Association, who yesterday sent the following press release to area reporters, followed five minutes later by another by way of explanation:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Woof woof bow wow arf arf
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Bow wow arf arf woof woof arf
Downtown Mesa Arf Arf Woof Woof
“Arf Arf, Woof Woof!”
Arf Arf 2nd Friday Bow Wow Woof Woof Arf Arf
Bow Wow Woof Woof Arf Bow Wow Woof Arf Arf
Arf arf arf bow wow arf woof woof arf bow wow bark bark downtown Mesa bow wow woof woof grrrrrrrrrr arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow. Woof woof woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof, woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow.
Arf arf bow wow woof 2nd Friday woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf aow wow woof woof (arf arf woof woof).
Arf Arf, Arf Arf, Woof Woof
OneOhOne Gallery, bow wow arf, woof woof arf bow wow bark bark bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow. Woof woof woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof, woof arf arf bow wow.
Woof woof arf arf bow wow OneOhOne Gallery arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf aow wow woof woof. Arf arf bow wow grrrrrrr arf arf www.OneOhOne101.com.
Bow Wow, Bow Wow, Bow Wow
Inside The Bungalow, arf arf bow wow, bark bark bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow. Woof woof woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof, woof arf arf bow wow woof woof.
Arf arf, Inside The Bungalow bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf aow wow woof woof. Arf arf bow wow grrrrrrr arf arf www.InsideTheBungalow.com.
Woof Woof, Woof Woof, Woof Woof
Woof woof woof bow wow?
Arf arf arf arf il Vinaio, arf arf Bark Vineyards arf 3 Busy Dogs, bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof.
il Vinaio bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof. Arf arf bow wow grrrrrrr arf arf www.ilVinaio.com.
Arf Arf, Arf Arf, Arf Arf
Mesa United Way, arf arf arf bow, wow arf woof 2nd Friday bow wow bark bark bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow. Woof woof woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof. Arf arf bow wow grrrrrrr arf arf www.MesaUnitedWay.org.
Bow Wow, Woof Woof, Arf Arf
12 West Main, arf arf woof, arf bow wow bark bark bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow.
Woof woof woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof, woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow. Arf arf bow wow grrrrrrr arf arf www.12-WestMain.com
Arf Arf, Arf Arf, Arf Arf
Twisted Sisters’ Designs, arf arf bow wow bark bark, bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf 2nd Friday bow wow arf grrrrrr. Woof woof woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof, woof arf arf bow wow woof woof. Arf arf bow wow grrrrrrr arf arf www.TwistedSistersDesigns.net
Bow Wow, Arf Arf Woof Arf
Arf Human Bean, bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof Desert Paws bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof bow wow woof woof arf arf bow Desert Paws arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof. Arf arf bow wow grrrrrrr arf arf www.DesertPawsRescue.org.
Arf Human Bean arf bow wow bark bark bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow (12 West Main).
Woof Woof, Woof Woof, Woof Woof
Arf arf arf bow wow arf woof woof arf bow wow bark bark bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow. Woof woof woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof.
Bow wow arf woof woof arf bow wow bark bark bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow. Woof, woof woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow human restaurants arf arf woof discriminatory county health code woof, woof arf arf!
Woof woof bow wow 2nd Friday arf woof woof arf bow wow bark bark bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow. Woof woof woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof, woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf bow wow woof woof arf arf.
###
Dear Editor,
It has been brought to our attention that not everyone in our community speaks Dog. Our staff Diversity Officer has requested that we translate our 2nd Friday press release for the English-speaking media. Accordingly, you will find a revised version following this note. Please excuse our initial insensitivity to this issue.
Cordially,
Dave Wilson
Dogtown Mesa Association
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2009
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For general information on 2nd Friday contact Dave Wilson,
Downtown Mesa Association Communications/Events
Coordinator, at (480) 890-2613 or Dave@DowntownMesa.com.
For details on specific dog-related activities please
contact the individual merchants hosting them.
Downtown Mesa Merchants Present The
“Dog Days of Summer”
Aug. 14 Second Friday To Feature More
Canine Activities Than You Can Wag A Tail At
Everyone and their dog will have a great time when downtown Mesa merchants present the “Dog Days of Summer” the evening of Aug. 14. A long list of businesses have come together this month to present dog contests, dog beer and wine tasting, dog mask coloring, a dog bean bag throw, dog photography, and other fun activities. Merchants will also create a dog-friendly Main Street with water stations and free biscuits.
All of these activities are part of the next 2nd Friday, the monthly event held on and around West Main Street from 6-10 p.m. (6:07 to 10:07 canine time).
Dog Costume Contest Plus Music, Art & Ice Cream
OneOhOne Gallery, 101 W. Main St., will host a dog costume contest from 7-8 p.m. Lots of great prizes will be donated by the Pet Club, 55 S. Country Club Dr., and all attendees will receive free dog biscuits. Bring your dog or sign up to be a judge! Additionally, visitors to OneOhOne Gallery will enjoy art exhibits, live music and $1 root beer floats. For more details visit www.OneOhOne101.com.
Dog Talent Show, Tail Wagging Contest & Stories
Inside The Bungalow, 48 N. Robson St., will host a doggy talent show at 7 p.m. Let your pooch show off its best tricks! Happy dogs can also compete in the “Wag Your Tail” contest. Kids will enjoy dog story readings and possibly face painting.
Additionally, the Arizona Labrador & Giant Breed Rescue group will appear with dogs, volunteer opportunities, information, etc. More information on this group is at www.AzLabsAndGiants.org. And don’t forget that Inside The Bungalow has a café with great human food, plus massage and yoga studios. For more details call (480) 844-2353 or visit www.InsideTheBungalow.com.
Dog Beer & Wine Tasting
Does your dog drink responsibly?
It can when il Vinaio, the restaurant at 270 W. Main St., in conjunction with Bark Vineyards and 3 Busy Dogs, presents free canine beer and wine tasting. This special “Bowser Beer” and “Doggie Wine” is safe and healthy for your dog.
il Vinaio will also have plenty of grass, fans and misters out front to cool your pooch’s paws. Inside the restaurant, two-legged patrons can enjoy live music with dinner and il Vinaio’s extensive beer and wine list. For more details call (480) 649-6476 or visit www.ilVinaio.com.
Dog Masks, Bean Bag Throw, Books & Balloons
Mesa United Way, 137 E. University Dr., will come down to Main Street for 2nd Friday with doggy masks for children to color, a doggy bean bag throw, and a free book for kids who participate. They’ll also have balloon tying. For more details call (480) 969-8601 or visit www.MesaUnitedWay.org.
Dog Photos & Scavenger Hunt
12 West Main, the reception center at 12 W. Main St., will have a photographer on hand to take pooch portraits.
2nd Friday attendees can also enjoy a scavenger hunt. Participants can pick up a card at 12 West Main, then visit other downtown businesses, which will validate the cards with paw prints. Completed cards will be entered into drawings for prizes, including gift certificates from other downtown businesses, at 9:15 p.m. For more details call (480) 600-8679 or visit www.12-WestMain.com.
Dog Treats & Gift Certificate Drawing
Twisted Sisters’ Designs, the unique jewelry studio and gallery at 48 S. Robson St., #102, invites dogs into the studio during 2nd Friday for a doggie treat. Their owners can enter a drawing for a $25 gift certificate. The winner will be announced at 9 p.m. (entrants do not have to be present to win). For more details call (480) 617-0997 or visit www.TwistedSistersDesigns.net.
Desert Paws Rescue
The Human Bean, a downtown Mesa neighbor at 405 W. Main St., will host the Desert Paws rescue group from 6-8 p.m. Dogs will be up for adoption, with 25 percent of sales benefiting this rescue group. For more information on Desert Paws, visit www.DesertPawsRescue.org. The Human Bean will also have lots of dog biscuits and will participate in the scavenger hunt (centered at 12 West Main).
Great Shopping, Dining & Vendors
As usual, many downtown merchants will stay open late for 2nd Friday to offer great shopping and dining. Some may also host live music or other special activities in addition to those already mentioned. Arts and crafts vendors will line Main Street sidewalks as well.
As mentioned, downtown Mesa merchants will create a dog-friendly Main Street with water stations and free biscuits. However, dog owners are asked to please not bring their pets inside of restaurants.
For more general information on 2nd Friday contact Dave Wilson, Downtown Mesa Association Communications/Events Coordinator, at (480) 890-2613 or Dave@DowntownMesa.com. For more details on specific dog-related activities please contact the individual merchants hosting them. Also keep in mind that additional businesses are continually joining the fun. For updates on 2nd Friday activities check www.DowntownMesa.com periodically.
###
It’s a dog eat dog world in Mesa
Add your Comment
Want Your Picture Icon? Go to gravatar.com and set a picture up to your email address for free. It also works on thousands of other websites, too!
Categories
Recent Comments
That MBA is REALLY paying off for Mr. Wool....
Linda, thanks for the informative book review. This...
Thanks for the shout out, Len. My “great product...
As newsrooms dwindle in size and reporters pickup more...
While he may not be directly pitching to the press,...
Blogroll
- Acme Photography
- Brain Matter
- Brian Shaler
- Convince & Convert
- Cut Me Some Flack
- Espresso Pundit
- HMA Time
- Hoi Polloi Report
- It's About The Work
- Linda VandeVrede
- Liquis Design Blog
- Mighty Interactive
- Off Madison Ave
- Park & Co.
- Park Howell
- PR Advice
- Random Tuesday Morning Ramblings
- SoCal PR Blog
- Stealthmode Blog
- Take Three
- tdhurst
- Team Forty
- The Marketing Journalist
- The One to Go To
- The PR Practitioner
- The Right Point
- Think Fast
- What I DO Know is…
Comments
August 5th, 2009 at 8:23 am
With all due respect to Dave and his – ahem – creativity – do the media have time to wade through all that to get to the (meat) of the news there? I don’t think so.
August 5th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Well Linda, it was a significant member of the local media who sent it to me saying he thought it was clever and funny…
August 5th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Well, I stand corrected. If I had received it, however, I wouldn’t have read through the whole thing. And I like dogs! I don’t think any of the media back east where I grew up would have tolerated it for a second. But heck, what do I know? We’re in AZ now.
August 5th, 2009 at 9:23 am
I’m speechless. And I consider myself someone who speaks dog fluently
August 5th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Well, my dear friend Linda, that’s right. We’re in the West and we can do things differently here. While the release is long, I love the creativity. Given the volume of crap news releases that go to newsrooms daily spouting the same old corporate speak I would find this a great change and want to know more… And I don’t like dogs!
August 5th, 2009 at 9:29 am
“Arf arf woof woof” is probably how most media read a press release that long. I believe any and all news releases need to GTFP.
That said, this approach is VERY clever – it surely generated extra attention for the English language version, which may not have received it otheriwse. Nicely done.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:17 am
I liked it…up to a point.
I think the fun could have stopped after about 2 grafs, though I like the idea of keeping in character in the initial release and following up with the translated text.
As the person who invented the phrase “to speak dog” (”The Terrier Who Couldn’t Bark: A Fable for Adult Children”), I’m all in favor of improving inter-species communications
“All right then, my human-type name is ‘Chili’…that’s the name my caretakers gave me, but my real name, my ‘dog name’ is…well, you probably wouldn’t understand it unless you speak “Dog” so I’ll just say that it means “Dog-that’s-always-alert-and-never-lets-anything-go-on-unless-I’m-there-to-supervise.”
August 5th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
reality check: we’re talking about it.
it worked.
August 5th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
That may be the best picture ever posted on this site. Now, carry on. Woof.
August 5th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I’ve been sending out press releases about downtown Mesa for more than a decade and never got a reaction like I did with the “Arf Arf” thing. In retrospect, I guess it was a bit too long. But beyond that, the press release had a quality to it that…hold on…sorry, gotta run…the Arizona Republic is on line #2.
August 5th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I thought it was terrific! It had me fooled at first, but when I got to the English version, I had a good laugh–something we all need to lighten our spirits:)
August 8th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I thought it was fun…..but what really was clever is that Dave still had his teeth sunk into it (no dogbite pun intended) by signing his second PR with “Dogtown Mesa Corporation”