Distasteful
While I was at AT&T yesterday picking up my new phone (full slate of impressions on that coming at a later date), I picked up a little scannable card that would donate $10, matched by AT&T, to give phonecards to deployed military personnel for the holidays. I thought it seemed like a good idea, so I added it to my order.
After scanning it, the AT&T associate tore off a perforated portion of the card which I hadn’t previously noticed. It had a small hole in it, and on one side, it read, “I’m helping to keep our troops connected to home this holiday season.” On the other side, it read, “Display this tag proudly on a key ring, luggage tag, or anywhere else you want to show your pride!”
Really, AT&T? You feel the need to give people a little paper keychain that flaunts the fact that they supported the troops with, let’s face it, a pretty insignificant amount of money (for most people in there buying a cell phone) in order to entice them into doing good deeds?
I’m not sure which is more depressing: that AT&T felt they had to do that to get people to contribute, or that some people probably countributed just so they could immediately hook the flimsy little card on their keychain and show it with pride.
