Scott Phillips, Craftsman, or Tool Salesman?

[Bruce Wrenn]

This afternoon, while cleaning up from a cook out, he was on PBS. I can't figure if he is trying to be a craftsman, or just a tool salesman. Every operation he does, he explains how nice it is to have a (pick your brand) tool, that Woodcraft just happens to sell. What do you think?

[Peter Dawley]

All about the marketing

[Rich Engelhardt]

I'd wager that Norm was responsible for 99% of the biscuit joiner sales in the US .

Even today, I bet Chevy/GM sells a whole lot of Pickups & SUV's because everyone on This Old House drives a decked out one.

Overall - I expect some quid pro quo on these shows. It's the price you pay for not having commercials interrupt the flow of things.

[Jim Becker]

How do you suppose that these shows are funded so they can even be on the air? Sponsorship is nothing new. Some of the pitch is a little more up front these days, but without sponsorships, there would be no programs like this to watch and nobody willing to be the "start" of the show. It's about making a living.

[Pat Barry]

This afternoon, while cleaning up from a cook out, he was on PBS. I can't figure if he is trying to be a craftsman, or just a tool salesman. Every operation he does, he explains how nice it is to have a (pick your brand) tool, that Woodcraft just happens to sell. What do you think?

All of the above. He earns his living doing woodworking TV shows.

[Mark Bolton]

I think more than the sponsorship its his entire delivery and demeanor that usually ruffles things. I know it's painful for me to watch and use to force myself to watch him when the show popped on for some odd reason now I just change the channel.

Comparing him to any other show is just ridiculous. Norm, TOH, Rough cut, even Roy Underhil when he rarely has a lie neillsen or other modern day tool in hand on the show, NEVER call out the brand name and repeatedly over emphasize the manufacturer, ever. More often they are bound by the rules of underwriting and supporters, manufacturers, and retailers, are mentioned in designated "spots" and not directly promoted by the personalities on the show.

Phillips most nauseating series was when he literally somehow managed to build his entire monstrous house on the show and began bringing his wife (poor woman) into the mix. Nearly every episode was nothing more than him with a manufacturer of whatever it was he could have negotiated into his own home construction (likely for free for exposure). It was one time when I took the time to write a letter to both PBS, and his station, to comment on how flagrant the show had become. It was terrible.

If you want to go down the road of the wood whisperer and others who are willing to build their brand by selling themselves in any way needed to populate your shop and pay your rent then get off pbs and get on the web and you tube. That level of promiscuity has no place on public broadcasting. The funny thing is the worst offenders are usually the least educated in their craft.

[Frederick Skelly]

Comparing him to any other show is just ridiculous. Norm, TOH, Rough cut, even Roy Underhil when he rarely has a lie neillsen or other modern day tool in hand on the show, NEVER call out the brand name and repeatedly over emphasize the manufacturer, ever. More often they are bound by the rules of underwriting and supporters, manufacturers, and retailers, are mentioned in designated "spots" and not directly promoted by the personalities on the show.

I agree. You can sponsor without hawking the product incessantly. My Dad and I were talking about this last night. He said there was a TV show years ago called "The FBI". He said it was sponsored by Ford Motor Company and every car in the show was (only) a Ford product. He said Ford was the main advertizer during commercial breaks. But he pointed out that the actors in the show never said
"Gee Agent Smith. We should go out and get in our amazing new Ford Mustang and go interview that bad guy suspect." Dad predicted Scott Phillips would have.

[Brian Elfert]

There is/was a show on Discovery Channel recently called Garage Rehab. The show was practically an hour long commercial. They worked in a supplier's name in at least every third sentence.

[Mark Bolton]

There is/was a show on Discovery Channel recently called Garage Rehab. The show was practically an hour long commercial. They worked in a supplier's name in at least every third sentence.

I don't have cable or satellite tv so in don't see the programs much at all but use to love the hands on shows. Whether it be mechanic/garage work, car and frame building, restoration, and so on. Was recently at a home over a holiday with the monster cable package and watching many of the shows on velocity and channels like them (hgtv seems to be one monster ad I cant even watch any of it). But the shows were all in these shops where you could tell the shop owners who were not, nor should ever attempt to be, actors were reading horribly scrippted, horribly delivered, made up, drama. It wasnt even watchable. As you say, from one end to the other a giant advertisement.

It's fine on commercial tv but Phillips pushes it to a bad level on pbs in my opinion. I've often wondered if Phillips is not bound as tightly by the underwriting rules or something but have no idea.

Product placement in movies and tv is no doubt a big money maker and I'm sure it helps pay the bills but pbs doesn't operate in the profit structure of commercial television. Still lots of dollars in the budget. But..

[Frank Pratt]

I think more than the sponsorship its his entire delivery and demeanor that usually ruffles things. I know it's painful for me to watch and use to force myself to watch him when the show popped on for some odd reason now I just change the channel.

Comparing him to any other show is just ridiculous. Norm, TOH, Rough cut, even Roy Underhil when he rarely has a lie neillsen or other modern day tool in hand on the show, NEVER call out the brand name and repeatedly over emphasize the manufacturer, ever. More often they are bound by the rules of underwriting and supporters, manufacturers, and retailers, are mentioned in designated "spots" and not directly promoted by the personalities on the show.

Phillips most nauseating series was when he literally somehow managed to build his entire monstrous house on the show and began bringing his wife (poor woman) into the mix. Nearly every episode was nothing more than him with a manufacturer of whatever it was he could have negotiated into his own home construction (likely for free for exposure). It was one time when I took the time to write a letter to both PBS, and his station, to comment on how flagrant the show had become. It was terrible.

If you want to go down the road of the wood whisperer and others who are willing to build their brand by selling themselves in any way needed to populate your shop and pay your rent then get off pbs and get on the web and you tube. That level of promiscuity has no place on public broadcasting. The funny thing is the worst offenders are usually the least educated in their craft.

Well said! I find him to be one of the most obnoxious TV personalities I've seen. I too forced myself (no idea why) to watch several episodes of his show until I decided there were better things to do with my life.

[Brian Elfert]

The shows they have on the Velocity channel on the weekends during the day are basically just 30 or 60 minute infomercials. They don't use any product unless someone paid them to use the product and they mention the name plenty of times. Every time they go to a commercial break they have a whole list of sponsors of the show.

I only see snippets of these shows from time to time because my TIVO will be be tuned to that channel after recording a prime time show.

[Pat Barry]

Lets not get too worked up about this. Not sure if you noticed but this is the way the whole world works now.
Watching hockey game. These are some of the advertisers in constant view on TV broadcast:
Fox Sports
Wells Fargo
Xcel Energy
Toyota
Kraft
Treasure Island
Ecolab
SAP
hulu
Coors Light
Honda
enterprise
Geico
Audi
Bridgestone
Dunkin Donuts
NBC SN
Org Packaging
Discover
Gatorade
Great Clips
Jagermesiter
Orkin
Tincup mountain whiskey
Coors Light
SUperamerica
Walmart.com

ed: of course I forgot all about, CCM and Koho and Nike

Its amazing that you can still watch the game...

Don't even bother trying to name every sponsor you see at a Nascar race, or golf event for that matter

[Mel Fulks]

He has a style that reminds me of early TV. Perhaps a bit too earnest for today. My guess is that there are sections of the country that see him as being like a kind neighbor. I hope the country always has some regionalism.

[Frank Pratt]

Just to be clear, I don't mind sponsorship at all. We get a lot of great free stuff thanks to advertising. It's just that Scott Phillips has a way of making sponsorship, and indeed, anything he talks about, completely unpalatable.

[Brian Elfert]

Lets not get too worked up about this. Not sure if you noticed but this is the way the whole world works now.
Watching hockey game. These are some of the advertisers in constant view on TV broadcast:

I forgot about radio sports. Pro sports on radio is horrible these days and I won't listen. Every minute there is at least one sponsor mentioned.

The Treasure Island pregame show brought to you by Honda and Coors Light. This pitching change brought to you by Geico and so on. (Sponsors made up although I think Treasure Island really sponsors the Twins pregame show on radio.)