Freebies, Carpetbagging, Cars and Mules: Top Gear Payola
This is going to be a really quick post because #carchat starts on 10 minutes and I just need to get this off of my proverbial chest:
This week I was given a copy of the DVD of Season 10 of Top Gear by the US company assisting the BBC America division with promoting the show.
I love Top Gear. I love Jeremy Clarkson although he would probably shred me to bits and spit me out like a bit of pip left in his martini olive. I love cars. I love talking to people about cars. I tend to be enthusiastic when not grumpy. Hence, free DVD.
But with all of the recent debate about sponsored posts in social media:
- If you do not know what Top Gear is and you do not like cars, it is not for you so don’t go getting all upset that there is a giveaway you do not care about.
- The Top Gear show is produced by the BBC and their opinions are expressly their own so if you do not agree with it then tough. I can only attest to the fact that you might laugh a bit at some parts of the DVD.
- In the past year I have received some freebies from companies and I will, for the sake of being transparent, reveal them now:
- 1 backpack from Sirius Radio received at an OEM event which I gave to my neighbor who couldn’t afford a new backpack for the school year.
- 1 messenger bag, again Sirius Radio, but with Ford SYNC which I donated because it had a feature that rejected contents forcing it to dump out unless empty.
- 1 eBay Motors baseball cap at the Concorso Italiano (a consumer event- everyone got them- I am not special).
- A Ford Flex magnetic name badge with Miss Motor Mouth printed on it. (I do have a real name but it is cute).
- A hacky sack, Frisbee and a blue oval patch at a Ford Fiesta consumer meet up at a tuner shop.
- 1 Top Gear Season 10 DVD which I received because I love Top Gear and talk about it a lot and just generally get enthusiastic about the show that I could watch 24/7.
This was not a paid advertisement but I will watch Season 10 for free so sue me. If every one is nice I will host a nice contest soo so you can see it too.
