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Friday, February 24, 1995 Page 4
Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Uncoln
Jeff Zeleny.Editor, 472-1766
Jeff Robb.Managing Editor
Matt Woody...Opinion Page Editor
DeDra Janssen..Associate News Editor
Rainbow Rowell.Arts & Entertainment Editor
James Mehsling.Cartoonist
Chris Hain.Senior Reporter
Quotes of the week
“We will tailor courses and curricula to meet Micron’s
needs in chemical engineering, materials processing or
any other area in which we have the expertise.”
— NU President Dennis Smith on the upgrading of engineering
programs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
“Even though it’s 25 games into the season, we’re still
a young ball club. After 25 games you’re not supposed to
be a young ball club.”
— Missouri coach Norm Stewart on Nebraska’s 78- 75 win over
Missouri Wednesday night.
“I took a shower in a 32-ounce glass of water this
morning.”
—John Frese a resident of the Harper-Schramm-Smith residence
halls on the water being shut off because of a broken water pipe.
“Francisco Renteria has challenged the notion that
everyone enjoys the Good Life.”
— Jose Soto, a leader in the Lincoln Hispanic community, speaking
at a panel discussion on the issues surrounding Renteria s death.
“You get the feeling sometimes that you’re not making
anyone happy.”
— Tom Casady about the controversy surrounding his reinstate
ment as the Lincoln chief of police.
“I just Expressed to him in pretty rational terms that I
didn’t think it was appropriate that he or she — I
couldn’t tell from that distance — built a nest in a car
where he could get hurt.”
— Bruce Currin, director of human resources, on talking with a
squirrel who is thought to be behind the continual damage caused
to administrator's vehicles.
Clarification
The plan to improve engineering education at the University
of Nebraska at Omaha does not include the implementation of a
separate engineering college there, as reported in a Thursday
editorial.
Improvements to engineering and information science pro
grams at the UNO campus will be completed by fall. The infor
mation sciences program could eventually develop into a college.
A college of information technology could include programs in
the computer science field, said J.B. Milliken, an NU vice presi
dent. However, he said, there currently are no plans under way
to implement this college.
Editorial policy
Staff editorials represent the official
policy of the Spring 1995. Daily
Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Board Editori
als do notnecessarily reflect the views
of the university, its employees, the
students or the NUBoandofRegents.
Editorial columns representthe opin
ion of the author. The regents publish
die Daily Nebraskan. They establish
die UNL Publications Board to su
pervise the daily production of the
paper. According to policy set by the
regents, responsibility for the edito
rial content of the newspaper lies
solely in the hands of its students.
Letter policy
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the
editor from all readers and interested others. Letters
will be selected for publication on the basis of clarity,
originality, timeliness and spaceavaitable. The Daily
Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material
submitted Readers also are welcome to submit ma
terial as guest opinions. The editor decides whether
material should run as a guest opinion. Letters and
guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the
property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be
returned. Anonymous submissions will not be pub
lished Letters should included die author’s name,
year in school, major and group affiliation, if any.
Requests to withhold names will not be granted
Submit mated alto the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska
Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
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Slogans in the boy’s room
Pete Kass runs a grocery store in
a blue-collar neighborhood in
Chicago. It’s a good store with fine
meats, fruits and vegetables. But
it’s still a neighborhood grocery
store, not a gourmet shoppe or a
giant supermarket.
So Pete was surprised when the
mail brought him a glossy brochure
offering him an unusual business
opportunity.
It was an invitation for him to
advertise his groceries in the
washrooms at the new United
Center sports stadium, which
recently replaced the old Chicago
Stadium.
Or as the slick, glossy brochure
put it:
“Why in Restrooms?”
In all of his years in the grocery
business, that’s a question Pete had
never pondered. At least not in
terms of advertising pork chops.
And he wasn’t sure that he knew
the answer. But the brochure
answered it for him.
“In its brief history, the United
Center has already become known
as one of the premier entertainment
venues in the country.
“Our state-of-the-art building
offers many individuals the oppor
tunity to witness a variety of
sporting events, concerts and family
shows.
“Young and old, men and
* women, all will come to view
events in the United Center. (The
brochure didn’t come right out and
say so, but most of them will have
to make wee-wee.)
“With this in mind, we invite
you to take a look at our newest
advertising concept, one which will
fit any size budget.
“This year, we will be placing 8
inch-by-ll-inch advertisements in
all of our 100 and 300 level
restrooms.”
Mike Royko
Sure enough, the brochure has a
picture of a men’s urinal with four
advertising posters placed on the
wall at eye level. The brochure
says:
“This cost-effective vehicle will
provide the advertisers with the
opportunity to reach our fans in a
way like no other, allowing you to
reach our guests in a distraction
free environment.
“Our guests (your potential
customers) cannot change the
channel, turn the page, or in any
other way tune out the message
being presented to them.
“You will receive their undi
vided attention.”
The sales pitch goes on to say
that about 2.5 million people will
attend more than 125 events a year
at the United Center. That’s a lot of
potential potty trips, so the ads will
be placed above the men’s urinals
and on the side of the doors in the
ladies’ stalls.
And these will not be ordinary
crumbums going to the john. As the
brochure promises, “They will be
individuals who have proven
themselves to possess high levels of
disposable income. The kind of
consumers you want to reach.”
Pete the grocer thought about
that for a while. Then he said,
“Nah, I don’t think some guy
standing at a urinal downtown is
necessarily the kind of consumer
I’m trying to reach.
“I mean, I’m sure all of my
customers go to the bathroom
regularly, but that is not the basis
for our relationship or a factor in
what we sell them, except for
certain paper items.
“Besides, what would I put in
my advertising space — a head of
lettuce and a message that says:
‘Hey, come to our nice fresh salad
bar, but remember to wash your
hands first!’?
“So I’m not going to advertise in
their washrooms, although it was
nice of them to ask.”
Although bathroom advertising
might not be useful to Pete —
unless he can slip posters into the
bungalows of his customers — it
will probably appeal to many other
businesses.
For many years, the men’s
rooms of many bars in Chicago and
other cities have contained forms of
advertising from those who seek
companionship of one form or
another. The ads usually read
something like: “For a good (sex
act deleted) phone Joe at...”
This form of restroom communi
cation has surely declined, since
computer bulletin boards and the
Internet have made it possible to
send such messages across the
country or even the globe.
So now restroom advertising is
going to become mainstream.
As Pete the grocer says: “Adver
tising is kind of a weird business,
isn’t it? They say that the ads will
be jn metal frames and covered
with glass that is tamper-proof.
“I’d say it ought to be splatter
proof.”
© 1995 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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