The dumpster fire that is the NRA – Ackerman McQueen relationship continues to burn out-of-control.
After a very public and contentious back-and-forth that involves lawsuits, counter lawsuits, and family drama, Ackerman McQueen announced yesterday they are officially terminating their nearly 40-year run as the official propaganda arm of the National Rifle Association.
Here's a statement they released yesterday:
Wow. That's impressive. Just like breaking up with the girl who dumped you, it takes a lot of courage to terminate a lucrative, longtime relationship with a client that's suing you for $40-million — amongst claims that you overbilled, overcharged and tried to engineer a coup against their leadership. Give the TLO Award for Bravery to Ackerman immediately! They can hang it on the wall next to all the Razzie Addy's they won for designing the Thunder logo.
That being said, I do have a couple of thoughts...
1. If you're going to rip off Don Draper's "Why I'm Quitting Tobacco" ad, at least create a bold Helvetica headline to accompany the statement. Maybe something like, "Why I'm Quitting Dystopian Right Wing Propaganda."
2. Are we really supposed to believe they issued the statement to stand up for the truth? I know they're an ad agency and therefore very comfortable peddling lies and exaggerations, but after reading this New Yorker article about Ackerman and the NRA's dealings, I think the truth is the last thing Ackerman would want to get out. In fact, I'd say it's more likely they issued the statement in a desperate attempt to get in front of a massive PR nightmare, repair whatever is left of their floundering reputation, and calm the fears of existing clients who should probably be taking a very close look at all their billings and contracts. That's the truth they don't want to admit.
