In the last few days we have launched the next chapter of our “Same Power, Different Attitude” campaign. We’ve embraced a current and relevant public debate to take the campaign in a completely different direction.
Powershop has always supported the idea of individual choice and control. Our founding principle was to liberate New Zealanders from their enforced passivity as electricity consumers. Our brilliant customers have demonstrated that everyone’s happier when they can do things their way, so it’s not too much of a stretch to extend that philosophy to life in general.
Like previous editions, this latest version of Powershop’s long-running campaign is intended to be both thought provoking and satirical. Kiwis have widely debated the issue of marriage equality over the last year, so we’ve used the issue to point out that large institutions can sometimes lose touch with their modern constituents. The power industry is dominated by crusty utilities, many of whom remain resistant to the changes happening in our world.
We live in a world that has embraced freedom and equality. If something’s working for you and it’s not hurting anyone else, then we support your right to do it. We also believe it’s the responsibility of anybody in a position of power to consider whether their exercise of that power is bringing a greater or lesser happiness to the world. And we know that applies to us as much as anyone.
[Addendum: Some readers have raised concerns that we are describing the Pope as a "rotten demagogue" and that he has "violated human rights". This is incorrect. We are categorically not saying the Pope is a rotten demagogue or that he has violated human rights. These statements related to the characters featured in the first instalment of the Same Power, Different Attitude campaign (Kim Jong Il and Saddam Hussein). As stated at the start of this post, we are now taking the “Same power, different attitude” campaign in a different direction. 12 December 2012]
“If something’s working for you and it’s not hurting anyone else, then we support your right to do it.”
December 12th, 2012 at 11:43 amWhaling in the pacific anyone? Doesn’t hurt you or me, pity about the whales though… flawed morality??
Not surprised at this ad when the CEO spends his time picking his nose rather than getting the job done and five people almost die of carbon monoxide poisoning. About time you started doing the job rather than spending time on poisonous ad campaigns.
December 13th, 2012 at 2:19 amI think it is a despicable campaign regarding Pope Benedict. What on earth has any of this to do with a Power Company.
You can string up, persecute, torture and humiliate the Pope, the priests and the laity…there won’t be any blessing of same-sex marriages in the Catholic Church.
The Church is quite prepared to go where it has always gone before…and its still here and not one doctrine has changed.
December 13th, 2012 at 1:06 pmYou are not embracing a world of freedom and equality, you are simply marketing to a minority.
December 13th, 2012 at 8:42 pmI think it’s completely inappropriate for Powershop to be making political statements in favour of a particular position. You are an energy provider, for goodness’ sake. This kind of advertising risks alienateing many of your customers, including me.
December 13th, 2012 at 9:17 pmI am deeply offended by your advertising. Your depiction of Pope Benedict XVI, leader of the Catholic Church, blessing a same-sex marriage is insulting. In choosing to run this campaign you have chosen to publicly diss the Catholic Church and her teachings. You have also chosen to diss all your customers who oppose same-sex marriage. In saying you embrace freedom and equality, and that if what you do doesn’t hurt anyone else then you support people’s right to do it, you miss the point. Sometimes we don’t get to do what we want, precisely because in the greater scheme of things it does hurt others and ourselves. Freedom and equality are not rights when they go against the natural order of things. The Catholic Church has a right to teach that. The Catholic Church should not be made fun of, because it has the courage to stand up for it’s beliefs, based on thousands of years of wisdom.
How all this fits in with a power company I will never know. You have truely overstepped the mark.
I respectfully ask that you remove these incredibly offensive posters immediately.
Sincerely
Michelle Kaufman
December 13th, 2012 at 9:19 pmThe institution of the Catholic Church has been around for over 2,000 years thanks to the guarantee of her founder, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. While individual members have failed to live up to her teachings, the teachings have remained constant because she is guided by the Holy Spirit. Fads come and go but God’s Truth is eternal. What is considered modern today, will one day be considered old fashioned. Jesus built his Chuch on the rock of Peter, not on the shifting sands of public opinion. Long after Powershop is forgotten, the Catholic Church will remain. By the way if this campaign was intended to attract new customers, it hasn’t worked for me.
December 14th, 2012 at 12:27 amThat’s me and my family and my business out of ever doing business with Powershop again. To have such an non compromising attitude reeks of the “loony left wing” of this country.
December 14th, 2012 at 8:39 amI really like the message that this image is portraying and the meaning behind it, because it’s true. We all need to progress and be the change we want to see in this world.
December 14th, 2012 at 12:33 pmHey Ari-the Pope couldn’t care less what some amoral money-making power company says about him-he’s way above that and no doubt would smile to himself and shake his head in pity if he saw this ad-just as I am. Suggest you just stick to counting your $$$ and ripping off poor pensioners/struggling single mums/low wage earners etc etc….. “Power Companies care about equality and social issues-yeah right!” Ha Ha-so funny.
December 14th, 2012 at 6:24 pmShame on you! cheap shot at Catholics.
December 14th, 2012 at 6:30 pmCold day in hell when I will change to your power co ASSHOLES
There is nothing in the new add to indicate it is a new and different advertising campaign. Clearly the intention of the first campaign remained when this was design. This posting is a poor attempt to pacify those rightly offended. I was about to shift to Powershop…. Will never happen now.
December 14th, 2012 at 9:48 pmThanks for your poster of a smiling pope with hand raised in blessing of the couple. What an uplifting image! Are there paper copies available? Preferably not 4 storey high versions.
December 15th, 2012 at 10:24 pmOh, go on! He is a rotten demagogue! He is obsessed with gay marriage and restricting women’s rights, tightening his control of his church and squeezing out the Liberal Christians. More power to you! May I use this image on my blog?
December 15th, 2012 at 11:15 pmEvery year I compare prices per kWh of the main electricity providers in my area (Wellington). Next time I do that exercise, I’ll remember that offensive billboard and exclude Powershop from the list.
“…so we’ve used the issue to point out that large institutions can sometimes lose touch with their modern constituents” I think the analogy you draw is tenous in respect of the Catholic Church and also shows a lack of understanding about what that religion believes. Just because something is modern, doesn’t mean it is right.
“If something’s working for you and it’s not hurting anyone else, then we support your right to do it.” Ok so this pretty much is an ‘anything goes’ approach, which captures a lot of activity.
“…marriage equality…”. I think this is a misnomer. I’m not sure how we can achieve “equality” unless we removed all the conditions in the Marriage Act. Currently people under 16 need consent to get married. Furthermore there are familial restrictions on who you can marry (e.g. you can’t marry your brother). Further, the Act recognises “persons” marrying (so not marrying inanimate objects). Marriage is a union between a man and a woman — everyone knows that. It is a very simple concept.
December 16th, 2012 at 1:25 amWow guys, I just love your new advert – well done for the courage to affirm the equality of gay people in NZ!!
December 16th, 2012 at 12:24 pmIt is really sad that the only way you can see to try and promote your product is through
the denigration of someone else’s cultural symbols.
Does not say much about the esteem (it would be wrong to use faith of belief here!) you have in the quality of your offering does it?
December 16th, 2012 at 3:53 pmI think you’re out of line to start taking what is effectively a political position on a current social issue. I don’t really want to be subjected to political comment when all I want is to take advantage of your excellent service. Stick to your knitting!
December 18th, 2012 at 11:17 amI am disappointed that in the time I’ve been with powershop the unit charge has gone from 24c to 30c a unit, that’s a huge hike.
December 21st, 2012 at 1:22 pmFreedom of religion requires freedom FROM religion.
Homosexuals have the same right to love as everybody else.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/185853671546891/
December 31st, 2012 at 12:48 amYou have failed terribly in your stated aim “If something’s working for you and it’s not hurting anyone else, then we support your right to do it”. Meaning to or not, your anti-Catholic billboard promotes derision and ridicule of NZ Catholics ie it is hurtful to them. Reminds me how cool it was to be anti-Jewish in Nazi Germany. You really are abusing your power…
January 1st, 2013 at 7:20 amNot sure you’ve got the “change of direction” right with latest campaign. It’s one thing to be proactive and quite another to deliberately offend those who admire and hold in esteem the Pope.
January 6th, 2013 at 8:21 pmThere are other ways to communicate your position on the issue if so desired.
As a modern and customer-attentive company I old hope you would reflect on your decision to run this campaign.
Hi Ari,
I was a happy power shop user (even got some of my friends to switch over to you), now with distasteful and offensive “Pope ad” I am now ashamed to be a power shop user.
It is as offensive:-
- like having a picture of the prophet Muhammad blessing homosexual marriages to Muslims. (yes Muslim is also against that)
- or having the Hindu God Krishna eat a beef burger to the Hindus.
Why do you pick on Catholics?
As for the issue of the definition of marriages, it existed before any pope, religion, state or country. Just like the mathematical concept of 1+1=2. no pope, religion, state or country has any right to redefine the word “marriage” (or mathematical concept of 1+1=2)
Due to your stance to keep such an offensive discriminatory advert against Catholics I cannot in good conscience endorse your company and will be switching providers at my next earliest convenience. I will also highlight this to my Church group. I guess its no surprise if you find all Catholics boycotting your company.
p.s. there is a reason why Pope John Paul’s funeral brought together the single largest gathering in history of heads of state outside the United Nations,[3] surpassing the funerals of Winston Churchill (1965) and Josip Broz Tito (1980).
January 9th, 2013 at 7:38 pmawesomely creative and thought provoking. good luck.
January 10th, 2013 at 9:08 amI find the ad campaign featuring the pope extremely offensive.
I feel sorry for you having Ari Sargent as your chief executive. He must be a right idiot. His attitude to complaints to this campaign confirms in my mind that all chief executives are cretins.
As a result I am shopping around for another power supplier.
January 10th, 2013 at 10:42 pmCan’t wait to see how this draws response. Judging by responses to the previous campaign, I guess we gonna have to expect some not so nice, not so educated responses….
I think it’s brilliant! Well done!
Oh, and do the Hitler one too, heck, the devil as well. Why not some current political figure, who’s just done something bad… this could get really fun.
Just hope your company can live up to the high esteem you’re setting yourself up to maintain here.
January 10th, 2013 at 10:52 pm[...] on a Powershop blog, Sargent writes: Like previous editions, this latest version of Powershop’s long-running campaign [...]
January 11th, 2013 at 11:38 amdo you do the same thing with muhammad and the islam?Great courage offending the pope!
January 12th, 2013 at 4:14 amI think you’ve completely lost the plot. How about sticking to what you try to do best.
Next thing it will be ” The Power Party” for the next election.
January 14th, 2013 at 2:04 pmpowerslop powerslop; you won’t be the first concern to learn that insulting the Church established by your only Saviour won’t go unnoticed, not in this world or the next. time to start praying.
January 14th, 2013 at 4:29 pmI want an energy company, not debate stimulation. You chose not to acknowledge my complaint – I choose to switch to another company (having been with you for nearly two years). Good price rates are important to me, but good moral standards are even more important. I know I am just one customer and you won’t miss me, but be assured I am telling others of my decision.
January 16th, 2013 at 7:14 pmI’m one of your customers and I am disgusted at this shameful approach to sales. Professional businesses should use the correct forums for voicing their personal views. Besides what the campaigns purports to uphold in not hurting anyone has failed, and I’m not a catholic. You are already in people’s wallets, get out of their heads with these mixed metaphors!
January 18th, 2013 at 7:25 pmWhy is it taking so long to ‘moderate’ my previous comment? Is the moderator busy? on holidays? sacked!? I’ve now switched to another company, and getting cheaper electricity. THAT surprised me. I thought powershop was delivering the cheapest power, with a (lately) bad attitude. For us, (low users), we have found an even cheaper plan with Meridian. I wonder if this comment will get posted?
January 25th, 2013 at 1:16 pmI must comment that I find this campaign offensive. I am not a Catholic, but the idea that the church as an authority must give up on it’s principles because it may hurt someone’s feelings is ludicrous to me. Freedom and equality have always been under the law, I believe that some seemingly innocuous behaviour (ie. homosexuality) is damaging to society, and should not be endorsed or promoted. I object to any church being falsely represented as endorsing the gay lifestyle, and Powershop using the current debate for it’s own financial gain.
January 26th, 2013 at 6:02 pm@Tom: apologies for the delay. I have just found a number of posts have been directed to the spam folder so I had not spotted them earlier.
January 31st, 2013 at 5:14 pmThanks for responding Ari.
February 2nd, 2013 at 12:20 pmThis whole sad development is a pity. You guys are onto a great idea – empowering the consumer. But you have gotten sidetracked with your PR. I hope you publicly apologise, and get back to your core business. Do that, and I will race back to your service/product.
My bigger beef is with those blind ASA folk. On the one hand they rule a sign saying “Jesus Heals Cancer” posted on a church wall is unacceptable. And on the other hand ASA declares it is acceptable for an energy company to post many signs promoting favourable views of homosexuality. ASA is an ASS!
The good book refers to the blind leading the blind … and they all end up in the ditch.
C’mon dudes – having a “different attitude” about the homosexual agenda is so UNdifferent!
Wanna stay out there with your ads, but do some good for our country? How about tackling sexual abuse of minors – and just for a real challenge, use Mohammed for your feature character!
Ari, I am disappointed by your responses. I thought that the freedom, equality and happiness that you promote was more than just corporate speak and mumbo jumbo.
The ads are intended to make money for Powershop. I assume they are hitting the target market of potential Powershop customers. The problem with using satire in ads is that it also has a satirical target and you are clearly hitting it – the Pope and his supporters. Satire is a tool that brings ridicule, shame and derision. These are words commonly found in any definition of satire. That’s the sort of tool that you are using – a hurt bringer.
Then look at the simple question of whether people are “hurt” by the ad? If you agree that they are hurt then why persist with the ad – why not apologise and maybe pull the ad? Powershop has talked about a moral high ground so why not actually take it. If you don’t agree that people are hurt by the ad then why is their own testimony being rejected?
I “also believe it’s the responsibility of anybody in a position of power to consider whether their exercise of that power is bringing a greater or lesser happiness to the world.” So do you think that being “thought provoking” or promoting freedom and equality provides a greater good that the “hurt” to people who don’t take your stance?
If some principle of greater good is involved then why not make it clear that you are happy to have the collateral damage of people hurt by Powershop satire.
I think that whichever way you argue it Powershop’s statements are contradictory. I don’t follow the Pope but I am with those who see a good case for criticizing Powershop.
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:59 amAri, is a response coming?
There are two reasons I have stayed with Powershop despite being able to get a lower price from another supplier. That lower price is also achievable with much less effort than I have to put in with Powershop:
February 4th, 2013 at 9:01 am1) You have always replied promptly to any questions I have asked.
2) I appreciated an overlap in our outlooks which, at this moment, does not appear to be as consistent as I thought it was.
@Mark:
Yes, as ever I am happy to respond. I was offline most of yesterday, so have only just got to your message now.
All advertising is intending to bring businesses more customers and ultimately make more money. As a small company, with a small marketing budget we need to ensure our advertising gets noticed. That is the idea behind the “Same power different attitude campaign”. The campaign has a very distinctive illustrative style and features high profile subjects.
In this latest version we chose to align the campaign with an issue that is topical and continues to be a widely debated issue, both outside and inside the church. It was never our attention to offend anyone, but as you elude to, satire always brings that risk. We have apologised to anyone offended by the campaign, and I repeat that apology to you.
We are not saying that our view on this issue is the only view, and I doubt our ad campaign has changed anybody’s views, but we have contributed to some public debate on the issue.
This particular version of the campaign, like previous versions, was only ever intended to be run for a short period of time. Billboard sites were only booked for the month of December and have been replaced at most sites.
Once again, I would like to reassure you that it was not our intention to offend, and we apologise to anyone who has taken offence.
February 4th, 2013 at 10:31 amThat ain’t no apology Ari. That’s saying we are to blame – we who “took offence”. “Uneducated”, someone else added.
February 5th, 2013 at 10:20 pmApology = WHOOPS, I WAS WRONG. SORRY FOR THAT. I WON’T DO IT AGAIN.
Like I said earlier, I think you guys are onto a great idea with your product: It’s a shame you have tainted your company with a NOT great attitude.
I’m not offended bro. Cor, you think we all live in cotton wool somewhere? Nah man, I’m just calling the shots as they are – no political correctness here. I will not knowingly patronise a company that’s into rotten-ness.
Hey, I have an idea for you … small company, small budget, … do something that will REALLY get you noticed … hire all the same billboards and post up a real apology. I guarantee you will get more attention than this dud ad got you – and I reckon it would be prosperous.
Tom, Mark and everyone else with powerful comments against Powershop’s cynical campaign, they love the attention you keep giving them. The best thing you can do is STOP! The worst thing for Powershop is that their advertising dollar is wasted; we keep their morally bankrupt campaign going by keeping the focus on it. Switch from Powershop and ignore them – that will do real damage!
February 6th, 2013 at 7:14 amI agree with Tom Hockley, that wasn’t much of an apology. I also notice, that while you may have only booked the billboards for the month of december, you’re still running the campaign on various websites. That’s not being sorry for causing offence, that’s just posturing. Very disappointed.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:31 amReading Ari’s response dated 4 Feb 2013 and 11 Dec 2012, I trust Powershop’s pure motives are satire and to get noticed. But then I wonder why they have not taken up Gianni’s question by replacing the Pope with the Holy Prophet Muhhamad? Surely, based on Ari’s replies, people will still accept it as satire, if the ad shows the Holy Prophet Muhammad instead of the Pope. And such ad will be tremendously noticed not only by Kiwis but also by people of any religion/faith all around the world. Can’t wait to see Powershop do that. Lastly, Ari is mistaken in saying that the ad is meant to be only for a month. The Pope billboards have been in my city since at least for more than 2 months now.
February 16th, 2013 at 7:31 amFantastic advert – absolutely agree with it and I’m very happy you chose to highlight this issue. I’m with you all the way and I know that most New Zealanders will be too
March 8th, 2013 at 7:58 pmOh wow. While I will admit Ari’s apology was a classic fauxpology, I don’t believe he has anything to apologise for.
The ad speaks of “same power, different attitude”. It speaks of using your power to achieve different results. This particular ad says to me that I stead of using the immense power of the Catholic Church to abuse, offend, alienate and discriminate against LGBTI folk, imagine what could happen if it used it differently.
For all the harm the Catholic Church has done over the years, it deserves ridicule.
This also highlights the complex issue of rights. You have the right to your beliefs, others have the right to express their opinions. How come you have a right to your belief, but others don’t have the right to speak against it?
March 11th, 2013 at 7:35 pmWhilst reading these results, mainly to which I have found quite spontaneous and some what miss leading, there seems to be more controversy with the church than the control of power shop. I personally, have no ill feeling to the people of the catholic church and questions that need to be read and answered by his Pope John Paul the xv1, would be some what difficult for those whom fail to strengthen there faith and listen more to abusive behavior than the keep of Saint John Paul. However the question in doubt, I believe is for the obligation of each server to try and meet the true responsibilities of his/her affairs.
March 14th, 2013 at 1:50 pm@Ari
The ad does make me laugh even now. But I am not quite as amused to think that you honestly thought nobody would be offended by the ad. Your analysis and explanations are usually pretty cogent but this time you haven’t convinced me that you didn’t foresee it.
As a small ‘family’, with a small ‘power’ budget we need to ensure that our ‘interests’ get noticed. So I’m adopting the make-money-first attitude promoted by Powershop and switching to a cheaper power company. I’ve been an avid promoter of Powershop for three and a half years but it is time for a change for Good.
April 2nd, 2013 at 9:56 pm@Mark: I am sorry to hear that you are leaving us.
I can assure you that we have never adopted a make-money-first attitude. Yes, we need to make a return for our shareholders, but it is a modest one, and we have always (and continue) to develop tools and information that helps our customers use less power and save money.
It is fair to say we expected some eyebrows to be raised by this particular ad and that gay marriage is a polarising and controversial topic, however, we attempted to represent the pope as a jovial character and I was genuinely surprised that people were offended by it. Perhaps it is fair to label me as naive.
I wish you well with your new supplier, and we’d happily welcome you back as a customer at any time.
April 2nd, 2013 at 10:06 pmI thought the poster…(and the whole campaign) was fantastic. It makes me happy every time i see us. I would be nice to see more corporations standing up for human right..or even just voicing opinions.
April 3rd, 2013 at 8:13 pmAre physical copies of the poster available….I would love one for my room.
I love this advertisement so much, actually I love them all. I agree wholeheartedly in what Mark.H.Rawiri says and think that this sort of advertising needs to become something more acceptable in society. The people in the comments who find this advertisement so offensive need to take a good long look at all of the mistreatment, pain, suffering and offence the church has caused the LQBTQ community and get over it. It’s not the point of the advertisement anyway, the point is to see what good a lot of power can do compared to what good it’s not doing in the world today.
April 3rd, 2013 at 8:14 pm@Ari
I will miss Powershop but I won’t be back because humour and entertainment value do not excuse everything.
The ad campaign is so well crafted and funny that I can see why it would be hard for you to drop it. I’m still smiling even at the Mao ad but I it shows further disregard for what some people think is important. And you are doing it to make money. That’s the “make money first attitude” I’m talking about.
April 5th, 2013 at 10:34 pm