Below is a video produced by the city of Dallas for the Professional Convention Management Association folks, who are in town (h/t Unfair Park). I don’t know where to begin. The song makes me cringe. Getting Vanilla Ice (who no longer lives here) to act as spokesman seems desperate. If your city official can’t pronounce the word “museum,” you probably shouldn’t have her tout same. I could go on. But in short: the thing makes Dallas look JV. We have some of the finest video production folks in the country working here. We’ve got talented musicians. Is this really the best the city could do? No, it’s not. [hanging head in shame]
55 comments
This must be another brilliant project of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. Sooooo dated!
They tried but it’s really bush league. The music is weak. Vanilla Ice and his fake homeboy New Yawk accent is really bad. What were they thinking on that one? Does anyone really want to see the city employees or would they rather see the acquarium or another attraction? I’m thinking fish.
I do think Cuban dances pretty well for a white guy, though. I’d have to say that was the highlight for me.
One more thing…It’s so hick.
I’d back off the “museum” thing, at least until someone can help Dallasite and former POTUS to pronounce “nuclear” correctly.
It’s a metaphor, you see.
I guess Counting Crows needed a gig. Sigh.
1 more thang: not that you can’t promote nearby attractions, but did anyone tell Big D that the Rangers, Cowboys and Six Flags are NOT in Dallas? I would think the Arlington CVB might beg to differ.
Tim, do I detect a bit of jealousy because your dance moves weren’t featured? I have to admit, your groove thang looked better.
Could someone please explain to me how “America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru”, who looks more like an impersonator of U2’s The Edge hopped up on 5-Hour Energy, and Sam frickin’ Moon are compelling representations of why you should bring your convention to Dallas?
Mortifying.
With the unemployment level as high as it is, it amazes me how employers, even the government, are still not able to find talented employees who, at the very least, know a pile of crap when they see it.
Not really selling it for Dallas music. By a long shot.
One more thing… I did not make this.
First thing I thought of when I heard “One more thing.”
“The storm had now definitely abated, and what thunder there was now grumbled over more distant hills, like a man saying ‘And another thing…’ twenty minutes after admitting he’s lost the argument.”
–Douglas Adams
So Long and Thanks for All the Fish
This appears to be an unfortunate case where the target audience was forgotten. I’m sure the client and its associated egos ended up driving this video to its final unpalatable state.
I like the part where Mike Modano dances with Kate Gosselin. The rest of it is lame though.
Wow, so much negativity. I thought it was fun!
Here’s an idea. Quite you’re bitchin! Why don’t you get involved and help support your city instead of complaining about what a crappy job everyone else is doing.
I just moved here…and this makes me want to move back to the midwest! Could someone explain to me why they feel being so outdated is going to bring people here to visit. Please fix!!!
Eeek. I had to stop it somewhere around two minutes. It looks like something I used to watch on PBS. With that music it could have been a montage on Ghostwriter.
One more thing . . . this should be filed under “man-made disasters” not “natural disasters” – there was nothing natural about this promo video.
If you want to see what can be done to promote a city the right way – check out POVA’s promo video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1B2_r6Azvg&feature=player_embedded
@DMBurrows – I would certainly hope not… this video is horrible. What’s with the dancing?
Wow, that was really painful.
Is this the OFFICIAL commercial that other states see? Oh god please say no.
Let’s count the things that were bad…
I’ll start
1. Video production – Hopefully this was a student project, if that’s the case, not bad. However, showcasing places like the Winspear, which totally kick ass wasn’t very done in a very intriguing way. Following the elevators in the Plaza of the Americas just doesn’t cut it for creatively showcasing Dallas architecture.
2. The song – Again, not horrible for an average song but I think we have some really great artist here in Dallas that could have done this. Dad & uncle Jean if you did this, nice Job!
3. The People – Have you seen California’s video they have actual celebrities! Yeah California has their governor on the commercial… He’s freakin’ Arnold Schwarzenegger! I understand it’s for the whole state and this one is just for Dallas but does that seriously excuse this?
I’m going to stop there…
Can we please just copy another cities video.
All great tourism videos–like all great contracts–start with Whereas clauses.
All those responsible should be flogged, beaten and, in the case of Vanilla Ice (and whoever put him in this) strapped to a rocket and shot into the sun.
Our new slogan: Come to Dallas! We’re old, awkward and dance like the Tin Man with jumper cables attached to his…ears.
Or: Dallas! Stop us before we humiliate ourselves any further.
Maybe even: Dallas! Like Austin but without all that pesky personality and culture.
And, one more thing, that song is the auditory equivalent getting a root canal. No, not the “just take a few deep breaths and you’ll be out” root canal. More like the “middle ages, here let me just grab this rusty dagger and put my food on your chest” kind of root canal.
Wow…. wow…. wow…. I’m just cringing. The first step to getting better is understanding you have a problem.
“Foot on your chest” Oops.
Also,
Who let Vanilla Ice move here? Why was I not notified? We are notified when a sex offender moves into our area, but this guy gets to sneak right in?
@SJ Quite you are too!
[googling airfare to Portland]
@ann-on-a-mouse, that Portland video is very cool. I don’t go to these gigs, but if their video is what meeting planners are accustomed seeing, we are in line for some well-deserved mockery.
This is the worst video I have ever seen. This makes me never want to move back to Dallas.
Wow, that Portland video was awesome. Not only do I want to visit, I want to move there.
So it seems the overarching theme is “One More Thing.” The secondary theme… getting white people to dance awkwardly? How is this supposed to stimulate our economy again??
I hardly know where to start… and sadly I’ll never get that 4.5 minutes back.
So pathetic. I’m embarrassed. No wonder most people on the East and West Coasts think time froze in Dallas back in 1963.
Looks like this was just a conference video and not the official for Dallas.
http://www.visitdallas.com/
The flash video is actually kind of cool, but I wish the quality was better.
I thought it was a good vid. And i watched the Portland vid, not sure how you could say one is great and the other sucked because they’re basically the same.
LOL @ filed under “natural disasters”
by far….the worse thing i’ve seen in a long time. city of dallas should be embarrassed to put this out. and one more thing….why did they ask people to do the chandler bing?
This is a good comparison to what we did. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY
I downloaded the song 20 times on itunes. It’s almost good in an ironic way.
There was some good information in that video, but is was very *poorly* delivered. The content resembled cable tv programming from 20 years ago.
That video made me want to avoid Dallas.
Portland *is* awesome. I miss it.
Where else can you have the best outside micro brew festivals in the world, and almost every weekend? If we had that in a Texas summer, it would turn into a heat stroked redneck beer brawl.
That video says Dallas has no soul. And it the producers four minutes to say that.
Cities like Cleveland, however, can be summed up in under a minute. Watch and learn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM
I’m so PO’ed I want to shove my parasol up Phillip Jones — nose. Us Divas represent Dallas excellently and in the most positivest way anyone could. Even better than Vanilla Ice. Imbetween the Polo, the shopping and the pretty apartments some of us live in, we ARE Dallas. We are the type of cougars and wannabes that people would want to come to Dallas to meat. At least they showed our home away from home The Rattlesnake Bar. But seriously, I think y’all are flat out jealous of our fame. And that is, to quote the greatness that is Robbie Van Winkle, “ice, ice baby too cold! (too cold!!!!!)
So I KNOW someone on here knows who produced this thing. Was it internal? Was it a Visitor’s Bureau’s employee’s kid?Surely The Richards Group didn’t do it. Were they forced to hire Dwaine Caraway’s “marketing” company?
Others on here are right: there are probably 20 companies and 50 individuals in Dallas right now who could produce something better than this. It’s sad that the DCVB isn’t required to bid out anything or justify any $$$ they spend. Couldn’t they take some of that money they formerly spent on titty bars and hire someone more professional?
And really… Vanilla Ice? And they have Rick Springfield performing? Nothing against Rick Springfield, but if you are selling Dallas, then get some Dallas talent in there!!!
I keep waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and yell that we’ve all been punked.
What a load of crap. Basically it says, “One more thing — come to Dallas but to see all the attractions, you’ll have to leave town.”
One more thing. Good grief. I hope Columbo sues.
And if any tax dollars went to finance that thing, each person who appeared it in should be given a shovel and told to fill a pothole or go to jail.
This was great, when Tulsa did it in 1989.
a good start would be to ask Ross Crusmemann the VP and head of marketing for the convention bureau. this video is an outright embarassment and can’t believe in THIS great city this is what they put forth. seriously
i was mistaken…they weren’t doing the chandler bing…more like the carlton!
It’s pretty pathetic when the comments here are far more entertaining than the video they’re crucifying. As for the music–hey, Air Supply called. They want their songwriter back.
I’m betting it was produced by the Richards Group. It has the same look as the old promotional video the CVB used to show to companies they were courting. As for the overall tone, it looks like Philip Jones vetted this thing from beginning to end. No way is he going to let anything edgy or risque be seen about Dallas on his watch.
This makes me embarrassed to even be a member of the human species.
Compare it to Detroit’s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hhJ_49leBw
please can someone comment on what this was actually for? please someone own up to this… don’t make me facebook Tom Leppert. wowowowowowowowow.
This video just showed highlighted how boring Dallas really is.
This kind of stuff is why my friends in New York City can’t believe I moved here and that I actually like it.
Dallas has so much going on right now and so much to tout- isn’t there somebody at the CVB who gets it????
One can only speculate as to why they removed the video from YouTube. Actually, one could call the producers and ask them, but it’s more fun to speculate.
I found another location on YouTube where the video still lives and have updated the post. Whew.
Thought I had something to say but, I think Willy Cee said it best:
Q U O T E:
“Willy Cee @ January 12th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
All those responsible should be flogged, beaten and, in the case of Vanilla Ice (and whoever put him in this) strapped to a rocket and shot into the sun.
Our new slogan: Come to Dallas! We’re old, awkward and dance like the Tin Man with jumper cables attached to his…ears.
Or: Dallas! Stop us before we humiliate ourselves any further.
Maybe even: Dallas! Like Austin but without all that pesky personality and culture.
And, one more thing, that song is the auditory equivalent getting a root canal. No, not the ‘just take a few deep breaths and you’ll be out’ root canal. More like the ‘middle ages, here let me just grab this rusty dagger and put my food on your chest’ kind of root canal.”
OMG! Makes me proud to say I am Ft. Worth