BP Sponsoring Tourism Ads for the Gulf

Heather Callaghan
Activist Post

What does BP have to do with the Gulf besides causing one of the world’s worst man-made disasters? Why, appointing themselves as the Gulf’s new PR agent! BP is exerting much effort and advertising funds to bring more tourists to the Gulf.

In August, they aired two TV commercials called “Best Place” and “Great Vacation.” They have uploaded 28 YouTube videos, many featuring local business owners and select residents. The “Great Vacation” ad depicts four spokespeople from four different areas lightheartedly battling it out for who has the best vacation spot.

They are trying to uphold the Gulf as the best vacation resort yet. Supposedly, 2011 was the best tourism season. Who are included in these tourism numbers?

BP has spent $92 million dollars in the last three years for tourism alone. The ads are meant to inform people that it is okay to swim in the “clean” waters and eat the food. What are they not showing in the ads?

How about the deaths and sickness of the cleanup crew hired by them when they promised to help fix the local economy. The sickness that ensued for the fisherman, swimmers, and sea life after the toxic Corexit was dumped. That it did nothing to actually rid the Gulf of the bubbling brown cocktail. That they paid millions to law enforcement, churches, and other organizations for a “boost” but neglected to pay any ill health claims. Or how about that the clean-up contracts stipulated years of work, as well as a coordinated cover-up plan.

Is this their warped way of atonement for death, destruction, and irreparable pollution? Let’s pay off some officials, get some good testimonies, and bring more people into the muck.

What do they have to do with tourism??

New ads:

Clean up ads:

Look, many folks depend on tourism in the Gulf area and I don’t want to disparage them here. But in all seriousness, it is still may not be safe and BP knows it. Given their recent history of a vast cover up, it’s impossible to know for sure.

In fact, there are many reports that the leak is still bubbling oil. Yet, BP seems to feel that buying public opinion is a better investment than actually cleaning up the mess and compensating the people who’ve gotten sick and lost their entire way of life.

Public Relations cannot cover up the damage that many experts claim will continue for decades. It appears to be just another chapter in the “Big Fix” cover up: