Here’s an email that was sent to me this morning from someone at Rightster, a London-based video distribution company, proposing that the recent beheading of a Brazilian soccer referee was a “great AD REVENUE generating opportunity.”
Is it the most offensive marketing pitch of all time? I think it might be. (Note: Bold and all-caps were in the original email.)
From: Trey Thornton
Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2013 11:45 AM
To: Plotz, David
Subject: Gruesome Brazilian Beheading Puts Scrutiny on World Cup Host (VIDEO)
Hey David,
Take advantage of this great AD REVENUE generating opportunity by using Newsy’s take on this weekend’s beheading at a Brazilian soccer match, which is just one of several incidents that have some asking if Brazil is ready to host the World Cup. You can access and embed the video by visiting here and registering Slate with an account. Ad revenue opportunities are available as we’ll serve pre-roll across the content and split revenue that is generated.
Thanks
Trey Thornton
Sports Partner Manager
I’ve called and emailed Thornton for a response, but haven’t yet heard back from him. I will update if I do.
Update, July 9: Shortly after we published this post, we received the following statement from a Rightster spokesperson: “We regret deeply and are very sorry for the email and the offence it has caused. The individual involved will be disciplined and we will review our policies and procedures to ensure this does not happen again.”
