I’ve noticed over the last few days a commercial that’s running on National Television, principally CNN, for the site MyMarriageMatters.org.
The Commercials which seem to have been running for a few months is essentially a commercial against AshleyMadison.com, the site whose slogan is life is short, have an affair.
The site itself, MyMarriageMatters.org, is pretty bare, just having the commercial that is airing and a link to sign a petition.
Here is what you get if you click on the sign the petition link:
“Anti-Ashley Campaign
“Published April 22, 2010”
“Life is short. Have an affair?”
“Infidelity can SAVE your marriage?
“These are the messages AshleyMadison.com and other affair focused websites want you to believe.”
“However, at MyMarriageMatters.org, we don’t believe that AshleyMadison is correct at all …”
“I am Ryan Hill – Faithful husband, loving father and a traditional American who values marriage just the way it is.”
“So join me in saying NO to AshleyMadison and YES to your marriage!”
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Added by: MyMarriageMatters on April 22, 2010, 10:58:55 am
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Life is short. Have an affair?
Infidelity can SAVE your marriage?
These are the messages AshleyMadison.com and other affair focused websites want you to believe.
However, at MyMarriageMatters.org, we don’t believe that AshleyMadison is correct at all …
I am Ryan Hill – Faithful husband, loving father and a traditional American who values marriage just the way it is.
So join me in saying NO to AshleyMadison and YES to your marriage!””
There are some that believe that this advertising campaign of MyMarriageMatters.org is actually a guerrilla advertising campaign by AshleyMadison.com.
AbovetheLaw.com has written on this issue concluding that AshleyMadison is behind it (BTW I love that domain) as has the site, manogamy.com which laid out its argument in a post entitled:
“Case Closed: Proof That Mymarriagematters.org = Ashleymadison.”
I have no idea but here are some red flags.
First the “non-profit” behind the ads doesn’t appear to be asking people to join its organization or more importantly contribute money to it.
There aren’t too many non-profits I have run across that don’t seek members or ask for money.
Second the domain name, MyMarriageMatters.org is listed under privacy at Godaddy, which is pretty unusual for a non-profit.
Thirdly domain name AshleyMadision.com is shown on the 30 second TV spot more than the domain it is reported to adverstise, MyMarriageMatters.org.
Fourth there is no point for anyone to sign the petition. The site AshleyMadison.com is one of the most popular on the net ranking in the top 1,000 of all sites according to Compete.com, so if you want to “boycott” the site they just don’t use it.
Signing the petition accomplishes what?
Moreover there are only a few thousand signatures gathered so far. The site list just over 3,000 signatures with a stated goal of 1,000,000.
Less than impressive numbers.
The ads haven’t been all that effective in creating a firestorm against Ashley, so why does the non-profit continue to run them?
Fifth, Why doesn’t the commercial or the site which alludes to “sites like Ashley Madison, not include the names of any of these other such sites and why doesn’t the petition list these other sites by name?
Finally AshleyMadison.com has had its commercials rejected by the networks from airing during the SuperBowl, and actually I cannot recall seeing a national TV commercial for it anywhere, meaning networks may in general have rejected the controversial ads.
So what do you think?
Is MyMarriageMatters.org, and its national TV ads an Anti-AshleyMadison.com movement, or one of the great cases of Guerrilla Advertising?
I saw that same commercial on FoxNews and it struck me as funny that an anti-infidelity organization would create it when draws so much attention to the fact that AshleyMadison.com even exists. I remember chuckling and wishing they would launch a campaign against some of my adult dating related sites because it would stir the curiosity, um yeah, of people to go check it out. Some of my dating affiliate sites pay $2 per free sign-up and I could absolutely see a guerrilla campaign like this effectively driving new visitors in a demographic that might have never searched for adult dating online unless they had seen the commercial first. I think there’s a better chance that it’s a AshleyMadison.com affiliate though. Wink wink.
Glad to see someone else caught this. I’ve seen the “founder” of this supposed group selling crappy products on late night- SOAPNET, and elsewhere. Obviously a front for Ashley Madison, which probably generates too many complaints to run straight ads on most cable.