Letters To and From PMI regarding the "Evil" line of Products

[Pand0ra]

Hehehe I like their style. Here's a part of the description of their new barrel:

"It also comes standard with a sweet *** black to clear fade, further propelling you to be ulra hip. This barrel also is the most accurate barrel ever and shoots farther as well. Basically it defies all laws of physics."

It's obvious what they say must be taken at the second degree, not exactly as it comes.

But I agree the Tshirts are not the best idea they had so far.

@++

[shartley]

Originally posted by Webmaster
I agree with you that thier new shirt line is over the top. Encouraging unsportsmanlike behavior is low. You dont see any football shirts prompting players to "yank on a face mask". While that would be edgy and tounge in cheek - doing so is unsportsmanlike (and penalized as so).

Dear Fred:

Thank you for your e-mail and thank you for your support
over your playing career.

PMI is the exclusive distributor of all evil products.

Evil is a new line which is very much on the leading edge
of paintball technology. Because of this a more aggressive "tongue in cheek" advertising program was developed by the manufacture of these products to promote them.

The overall response to Evil has been great. Evil
acknowledge some of the problems our professional tournaments portray it does not endorse them! Evil is dedicated to the growth of our sport through the
application of improved technology. I am sorry to hear you
will not be taking advantage of many of the patent pending items the Evil line will offer.

Thanks again for your input.

Mike

[luke]

It does look like they are attempting to represent their products with a sense of humor. Although their tee shirts were a little over the top, I wasn't really offended by them.

Here's a quote from their site I thought was humorous:

"The respirator cleans up the front end of your impulse. To make it Vroom Vroom looking like a Ferrari. Lets face it looks are all that ever matter."

[luke]

Here is one more I like:

"This will make you a better player. This is hands down the coolest barrel out there."

[Shirow]

Our webmaster is whack, but some of his comments were so funny we had to keep them. We should tell you that our webmaster happens to be a pro player on a very successfull pro team we cannot mention due to contracts (???????). We sent him the products and told him to make a site, and this is what happened, note, never pay a webmaster in beer, this is what you get. So don't be up tight and enjoy... And keep in mind, rule the world is not a slogan it is simply the destiny of our customers.

I bet it's Jeremy Salm.

[ogre55]

What are you willing to do?

I am glad that, with a few exceptions, most people are at least put out, if not downright insulted and appalled, by the Evil T-Shirts. But I have yet to here anyone, other than Fred, state just what they plan to do about it.

Not buying the T-shirts is a start, but not much of one. For every one who does not buy one, there will be two little twerps that do.

Not buying any Evil brand products? That is a step in the right direction, as the company may then start to get the point.

If you really feel like PMI needs a kick in the teeth for this, as I do, I would say, don't buy ANY of their products, until they at least take the shirts of the market, if not appologise for their subsidiaries bad taste. I hate to do this, as IMO, the advantage line of paint is the best paint out there. Oh well.

No amount of letters will get a company to stop doing anything. While the decisions are made by the executives, the merit of those decisions is measured by the accountants. And when the accounts start telling the executives that they are not meeting a sales qouta because some wiseacre in marketing decided to get cute, well, the marketing guy gets canned (oh well) but the product get discontinued. In short, if you want to see these t-shirts gone, boycott PMI.

Oh and if you see some 'tard wearing one these things at your local field, express your displeasure, not with words, but from the business end of your 'Mag.

Peace out.

Ogre

[Fred]

Also, I should point out, that Evil is NOT its own company, it is just a product line direct from PMI.

I don't want to start a flame war, and I don't want to stop using PMI products, since i actually like them, as I stated in my letter to them.

If this "tounge in cheek" marketing strategy extends to other PMI products, or if PMI essentially becomes Evil, I will not hesistate to let my wallet to the talking even more.

Granted, I don't spend as much per year as half of you guys, but its still in the range of a thousand dollars per year, and on my personal income (Parents don't finance my paintball habit), and considering what I have to pay in college tuition every year, that is a HUGE portion of my spending money.

yes, I also agree that they think we're stupid, me in particular for actually writing them about it.

Shartley- well said!

I think in a further email I may direct him to this thread, and the others in various forums as to how players actually feel about the Evil line.

Keep your thoughts coming guys!

---Fred

[JEDI]

I'm not sure how to respond to all this. I guess I'm just less conservative, or offended less easily. Repost this thread when an actual problem arises directly related to Evil's marketing.(I don't think that will ever happen) Do you honestly believe the glove squeegie does nothing but promote wiping? I'm sorry, but thats bending reality for the sole purpose of supporting your arguement.

My JT gloves have one too, and I think its the greatest idea. There are several ways to get paint on your goggles other than a direct hit. (Its called spatter) Even if I do have a legit hit on my face, its nice to be able to neatly clear it off, as I stumble off the feild.

Sometimes I think we here at AGD sit back and preach, without holding ourselves to the same standard. I guess you saw nothing wrong with a topless chick advertising the warp feed (I don't). Or promoting our non-chopping gun with ads of "stick your finger/ TOUNGE in it." I saw a girl F up her finger pretty bad right in front of Tom at the World Cup. Sure she was somewhat dim-witted, but I've yet to see some one wearing a "bonus-ball" tee-shirt running around shooting up the place.

Let Evil run its course. If it has the potential to sell and do well, why cut that chance off? If it does begin to cause problems, (which I doubt)let the industry police itself. Lets not jump on every new Idea thats different. After all, isn't that what we AGD lovers are faced with everyday (mag haters)

Paintball IS different. It's NOT football. I love my community the way it is. Lets not creat trouble where there is none.

[Moats]

Shut up...

Why does it seem like you people go out and look for things to cry about all the time. "Holy cow guys that guy is shooting alone and he did not put his barrel plug in and goggles on when they squirrel ran by 500 furlongs down the road."

All i can say is DON'T BUY THE SHIRT!

If it makes you so upset that you can't go on whith your every day life then get some people and don't buy the shirt.

This was the same despute as when the badass goggles came out. Mothers lock you babies up beccause the word *** has be introduced into a sport where profanity can be heard ten fold from the deadbox.

This shirt doesn't bother me and it seems like you people who want to bring Evil to the Supreme Court need to chill a little bit. It's not the end of the world. The paintball police are not going to come shut down the sport because of it.

The sport requires "guns" to "shoot" people, yes i said guns not markers. Lock me up.

All i can say is don't buy it. If they offered to sponser my team i would wear it. Don't make a big deal about nothing. Their shirts will sell. Just wait. Maybe you won't buy one but they will not be hurt. All for Now incert flames below....

[shartley]

Originally posted by JEDI
Sometimes I think we here at AGD sit back and preach, without holding ourselves to the same standard. I guess you saw nothing wrong with a topless chick advertising the warp feed (I don't). Or promoting our non-chopping gun with ads of "stick your finger/ TOUNGE in it." I saw a girl F up her finger pretty bad right in front of Tom at the World Cup. Sure she was somewhat dim-witted, but I've yet to see some one wearing a "bonus-ball" tee-shirt running around shooting up the place.

Let Evil run its course. If it has the potential to sell and do well, why cut that chance off? If it does begin to cause problems, (which I doubt)let the industry police itself. Lets not jump on every new Idea thats different. After all, isn't that what we AGD lovers are faced with everyday (mag haters)

Paintball IS different. It's NOT football. I love my community the way it is. Lets not creat trouble where there is none.

[shartley]

Re: Shut up...

Originally posted by Moats
Why does it seem like you people go out and look for things to cry about all the time. "Holy cow guys that guy is shooting alone and he did not put his barrel plug in and goggles on when they squirrel ran by 500 furlongs down the road."

All i can say is DON'T BUY THE SHIRT!

If it makes you so upset that you can't go on whith your every day life then get some people and don't buy the shirt.

This was the same despute as when the badass goggles came out. Mothers lock you babies up beccause the word *** has be introduced into a sport where profanity can be heard ten fold from the deadbox.

This shirt doesn't bother me and it seems like you people who want to bring Evil to the Supreme Court need to chill a little bit. It's not the end of the world. The paintball police are not going to come shut down the sport because of it.

The sport requires "guns" to "shoot" people, yes i said guns not markers. Lock me up.

All i can say is don't buy it. If they offered to sponser my team i would wear it. Don't make a big deal about nothing. Their shirts will sell. Just wait. Maybe you won't buy one but they will not be hurt. All for Now incert flames below....

[Thordic]

Sorry Fred, but I agree with JEDI on this. It seems like AO is copping a "Paintball soccer mom" politically correct attitude lately.

[ogre55]

JEDI: you asked us to leave Evil alone and let the industry police itself. We, as consumers of paintball products, are the industry. You, me and every other person who purchases markers, paintball or any other product. What we hope to do here is police it.

As for letting Evil "police themselves" (which is what I think you meant), if these products do well, the harm this product will cause (and I think it will), will not cause PMI to discontinue it.

PMI is a large company devoted to making money, as all companies are and should be. Their bottom line is the bottom line. If you or I feel strongly about a product and it's good, or bad, qualities, the only way to force a company to see the light is to speak with your wallet. (Damn I'm cyncial)

Ogre

[JEDI]

Shartley, if gave you an Evil tee-shirt, and a glove with a squeegie, would you become a bonus-balling, hit wiping degenerate? I doubt it. You seem too intelligent. So why should we assume, without incident to back it up, that the rest of the Pball community would? I'd rather see intersting ideas grow. It allows more tolerant individuals (thats not a shot at any one)to express themselves in a manner that fits them. I think it takes a certain amount of intelligence to be a Pballer. I think its that amount of intell. that will keep people from actually acting out what a tee shirt implies.

I agree that we need to govern our selves in order to progress as a sport. Gross negligence wouldn't help any thing. I'm simply trying to demonstrate with my AGD analogies, that not every borderline idea results in a complete break down of our sport.

Every advance in our sport is gonna be met with some opposition. Opinion is good, and red flags keep us in check, but burning witches at the stake never really helped.

[Timmee]

Hmm, should we let the industry police itself? As was shown by Jeremy Salm, letting the industry police itself will result in little to nothing being done (I'm referring to the cheating aspect, not the punishment aspect).

Also, AO is not the only place that these shirts were not well recieved. There are others on the Tinker's Guild that have posted on this subject, and the opinion is the same (for the most part).