Wilbert Update

Many of you will remember the commentary I posted in October regarding my reaction to the Wilbert Burial Vault booth space at the NFDA National Convention. You can find the full text here.

For those of you wondering, it did take longer than I expected to receive the promotional materials we needed from an alternate supplier, plus the holidays got in the middle of things, but we did eventually make the transition away from Wilbert products at all of our funeral homes.

As a further example of my questioning about the focus of Wilbert Inc., has anyone noticed the print advertisement Wilbert has run in the January issue of The Director magazine? Under the headline "Protection" sits the picture of a turtle. Yes, I guess the shell might represent protection of a sort but it also brings to mind the unfortunate messiness which happens when a turtle tries to cross a busy roadway. It also looks ugly and less than alive and of course turtles have rarely been chosen as a symbol of vibrance and forward thinking.

Why did they allow such a visual message to get used on their behalf? I mean seriously, the poor thing looks ready for a casket itself rather than being a positive symbol of a forward thinking, energetic and smart company.

Somebody there just doesn't get it, and it shows.

Comments

[Englebert]

BT:

A TURTLE?

You have to be kidding me! I have not seen the ad in question, but a turtle strikes me as being slow, behind the times, etc.

Why would a company want their image to be branded with that of a turtle? It strikes me as more than a little bit odd.

You are absolutely correct. Someone at that company apparently does not get it. Good job calling them on it.

[Timothy Totten]

I've seen this ad. In fact, I was showing our ad for quilted cot covers (about halfway through the Jan. ICCFA Magazine) to a friend and she thought the turtle was kinda pretty.
But she also had no idea what kinda product Wilbert sells, even though she knows exactly what a vault is.
Worse, I know what Wilbert sells and I still can't figure out why they went with a turtle. Wouldn't a armadillo be better? Or a rhino?