Would this be "Sponsorship"?

[Formica]

Folks,

I have a conundrum. A corporate entity is allowing us the use of some of their solar equipment at Burning Man, and we are debating whether or not we should recognize this somehow.

First and foremost, understand that one of the things I love about Burning Man is that I spend an entire week without seeing a single advertisement; that the only branding I am subjected to is the subversive and freewheeling branding of art and craziness; and that I have profound respect for Burning Man's uncorporate ethos.

That being said, consider:

• The company is letting us use a couple thousand dollars worth of commercial grade solar equipment, including panels, voltage regulators, and battery chargers
• The company is a small, Bay Area Burner owned and operated startup. I have burned with these guys a few times as well as working for them in the past; they get it
• The equipment is letting us green up our camp significantly, potentially eliminating the need for fossil fuels to power our infrastructure
• The company has not made recognition a requirement - they are giving freely and asked nothing in return, this is our idea

Therefore, I ask you: Would it be wrong of us to, for example, place a small sign with the solar panels denoting that the equipment was donated by this company, and perhaps put their URL on it? Would this violate the spirit of Burning Man?

If the general consensus is no, we definitely will not do it, but I feel as though this falls into something of a grey area. We aren't making any money off of this, though it is certainly possible that the company in question might get some business from it, and frankly I'd be okay with that given the circumstances I listed above.

On the other hand, the fact that I have to ask leads me to believe it's not appropriate.

What say y'all?

edited to note the company didn't ask or require us to do this

[mdmf007]

It is innapropriate - They have a website, let them advertise their BM participation there.

Your not making any money off of this - but they certainly could.
How about I get Coca Cola to sponsor me with my camping supplies and food? All I got to do is throw up a sign in my camp inviting people to enjoy a Coke on me.

Its product placement - straight and simple.

thats my opinion.

later

[skygod]

I say word of mouth only, no signs/logos.
As a matter of fact, I'm trying to build a house with solar so I could use the info, but no signs please, I'll ask if I want info.

[capjbadger]

Agreed. A sign would not be appropriate.

Badger

[Archantael]

Not appropriate. If I want to know about something I'll come up and ask you about it. And that way I can get the info without any marketing spin which is even better.

[Toolmaker]

4 folks before me already said it.

[Trixy]

Yes, it's ok to put up a sign, but it must be a solar powered sign, telling me how much carbon we are saving, and it must be at the base of the man, with all the other advertised stuff.

[misfit]

i see nothing wrong with a small sticky with the web address on the solar panels. seems no different than the colman tab on my stove, or the igloo name on my cooler.

[unjonharley]

for crying out loud folks,, we are ask to cover signs on the sides of rental vans an RVs.. most ass hats figure it s to much trouble.

well it isn t.. all it takes is a paint roller and pan add playa dust and water.. just roll the wet dust over the add.. hose it off while clean up..

now, is that so fucking hard??

[actiongrl]

Hey, we're not putting up any such signs in the Pavilion. Camps shouldn't do so either. That's always been verboten in BRC and remains so.

*And we're borrowing HUNDREDS 'o thousands of dollars worth of stuff, btw...

[barnz]

First off, thanks unjohn for the great suggestion of camouflaging those RVs and trailers. We may be renting a Uhaul to truck our crap up with us and I've been wondering how to effectively take care of the disagreable advertising.


Second, back to the primary question. Yes. Inappropriate. The fact that they didn't ask for it doesn't make it less inappropriate, it shows they know it's inappropriate.

That said, here's what I would do.

Make Sure Everyone In Your Camp Knows:

• 1. What your system does, and why what the system does is supercool.
  
  2. That the supplier donated the setup, and is a burner, and is personally supercool.
  
  3. Who the supplier is and how to Google them.

Now you are in a position to gift your benefactor with some valuable 'viral marketing' without generating literal or figurative MOOP!


When we meet on the Playa, if you share with me #1 and #2, I will ask you for #3.

[Teo del Fuego]

Im sorry, Formica, you're not allowed to post here unless you have a Simpsons (tm) avatar or have a certificate of exemption.

[gyre]

How about a webhouse you can refer people too with the info and gratitude?
Companies like that and no one has to look if they don't want to.

I actually don't have a problem with controlled sponsorship info on the playa and none at all on eplaya.
I do find I am a little queasy at the idea of the org involved in any way other than limiting the approach.

I am on a board most of the time that operates this way.
Companies often post to discuss their products.
If a company can't answer questions, the only thing the moderators have to do is protect the companies from the crowd.
The focus of the group is extremely narrow and so are the ads allowed, but the group discusses everything from personal issues to decorating.
All off topic.
On topic, if they don't know it, they can find out quick.

So sponsorship can be unobtrusive.
Sometimes the access to information is even useful.

[Formica]

First off, thanks unjohn for the great suggestion of camouflaging those RVs and trailers. We may be renting a Uhaul to truck our crap up with us and I've been wondering how to effectively take care of the disagreable advertising.


Second, back to the primary question. Yes. Inappropriate. The fact that they didn't ask for it doesn't make it less inappropriate, it shows they know it's inappropriate.

That said, here's what I would do.

Make Sure Everyone In Your Camp Knows:

• 1. What your system does, and why what the system does is supercool.
  
  2. That the supplier donated the setup, and is a burner, and is personally supercool.
  
  3. Who the supplier is and how to Google them.

Now you are in a position to gift your benefactor with some valuable 'viral marketing' without generating literal or figurative MOOP! :D

Thank you for showing me the best course of action :-) And thank you everyone for your opinions, I really appreciate it!

[barnz]

Thank you for showing me the best course of action

Look, I'm just some random dude who thinks posting on message boards is an acceptable form of human interaction. (CREEPY!) NOTHING I suggest should be referred to as "the best course of action."

But if it helps in some way then good for you!

[skygod]

All the museums I have ever been in don't have signs and logos blaring at you, just the art!!!
BM is the best damn museum in the desert since the Sphinx!

[wedeliver]

I could see your sign saying exactly what you say below.. no more.. no less.. Then we would burn it.

Folks,

I have a conundrum. A corporate entity is allowing us the use of some of their solar equipment at Burning Man, and we are debating whether or not we should recognize this somehow.

First and foremost, understand that one of the things I love about Burning Man is that I spend an entire week without seeing a single advertisement; that the only branding I am subjected to is the subversive and freewheeling branding of art and craziness; and that I have profound respect for Burning Man's uncorporate ethos.

That being said, consider:

• The company is letting us use a couple thousand dollars worth of commercial grade solar equipment, including panels, voltage regulators, and battery chargers
• The company is a small, Bay Area Burner owned and operated startup. I have burned with these guys a few times as well as working for them in the past; they get it
• The equipment is letting us green up our camp significantly, potentially eliminating the need for fossil fuels to power our infrastructure
• The company has not made recognition a requirement - they are giving freely and asked nothing in return, this is our idea

Therefore, I ask you: Would it be wrong of us to, for example, place a small sign with the solar panels denoting that the equipment was donated by this company, and perhaps put their URL on it? Would this violate the spirit of Burning Man?

If the general consensus is no, we definitely will not do it, but I feel as though this falls into something of a grey area. We aren't making any money off of this, though it is certainly possible that the company in question might get some business from it, and frankly I'd be okay with that given the circumstances I listed above.

On the other hand, the fact that I have to ask leads me to believe it's not appropriate.

What say y'all?

edited to note the company didn't ask or require us to do this

[wedeliver]

All the museums I have ever been in don't have signs and logos blaring at you, just the art!!!
BM is the best damn museum in the desert since the Sphinx!

I don't think you are supposed to make noise in a museum either... SSSSSShhhhhhh... quite please, there is art all around you don't wanna fucking bother it.

(skygod, love your posts, this one leave's me wondering)

No, we should not advertise, even all those fuckers that come from El Monte... but SHOULDN'T we express ourselves, if done in a fun "artful" manner??


I wanna scream, I wanna yell, I wanna dance and sing, kiss and hug, paint graffiti on someone's ass.....

[MikeVDS]

I have to agree with Barnz on this one. People will want to talk about it, and many people will ask who the mystery company is. You're already advertising for them, but in a playa acceptable way, which is by not shring information that people don't ask for.

[trilobyte]

Thank them via a listing on your camp and project's web site. Then you can also link to them and give them a big fat juicy plug without commercializing the playa.

I'm thanking the people who've donated/supported our cause by saying thanks as well as providing them personal copies of pictures (for non-commercial use).

Putting up logo signs is kind of reminiscent of EPCOT center at Disney World, where companies like Kodak and GM foot the bill for rides and attractions that are geared towards themes that benefit them.

~Trilo~

[bdeywoo]

If they are a burner owned company i would think more than most they would understand not recognizing them.

[robotland]

i see nothing wrong with a small sticky with the web address on the solar panels. seems no different than the colman tab on my stove, or the igloo name on my cooler.

What, you don't peel those off? I even rip the Carhart tags off of my caps! And if that big "Burning Man" icon's still standing right smack dab in the middle of everything on Saturday night, I swear to god I'm gonna burn that suckah.

[Steven bradford]

radical self expression heh?

Just not too radical.

Do what you want. It's your camp.