N.L. tourism association relieved after VRBO apologizes for I'se the By ad
A VRBO commercial that uses I'se the B'y as its soundtrack has images of undesirable rental accommodations. (VRBO/YouTube)
The provincial tourism association is celebrating a win after vacation rental site VRBO announced it would remove an iconic Newfoundland and Labrador song from one of its commercials.
The video ad, which used the traditional folk song I'se the B'y as its soundtrack, was set to images of a small trailer, an old barn with chickens in it, and a tent with a pig on an air mattress, which were meant to portray less-than-desirable accommodations.
After its debut at the Grammy Awards broadcast on Feb. 4 and a subsequent slot during last weekend's Super Bowl, there was public backlash, with the provincial government and Hospitality N.L. both asking VRBO to remove the song from the ad.
On social media Wednesday, Senator David Wells, originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, shared an email he'd received from Expedia Group manager Hunter Doubt, who said the ad would be taken down.
CBC reached out to Doubt, who initially said he'd "likely" respond over email. However, CBC News received an emailed statement from a VRBO's spokesperson on Doubt's behalf, stating that "the spot pokes fun at our competition, not anyone in Newfoundland. This is one of several ads in this campaign."
That was the same statement VRBO had sent to CBC News for an earlier story.
Neither Doubt nor the spokesperson responded to follow-up messages from CBC News by publication time.
The VRBO commercial's message is that booking with VRBO will help you avoid accommodations like the ones in the video. (YouTube/VRBO)
In Doubt's email to Wells, Doubt offered apologies on behalf of Expedia Group for the ad "that I know many have expressed disappointment in, specifically individuals from Newfoundland and Labrador such as yourself."
He added, "While I know for sure that this was an honest mistake, and meant in no way to depict the province in any negative way, we certainly understand the due diligence as it pertains to the song choice should have been better."
Doubt also told Wells he had a conversation with Tourism Minister Steve Crocker and had relayed the company's apology.
In another email Wells posted, Doubt wrote "steps have been taken to remove the ad."
Doubt's did not mention the timeline for the ad's removal.
Glad for news
Deborah Bourden, chair of the province's tourism association, Hospitality N.L., welcomed the news that the ad was going to be taken down.
"And I think all of us in our industry will be happy to hear that," she told CBC News.
"It was a very unfortunate choice on their part. It doesn't matter whether they knew or didn't know the importance of that song to us."
Bourden added a two minute online search would have shown VBRO that the song was important to the province.
Right now, Bourden said it is hard to determine how the VRBO ad could affect the tourism industry.
Deborah Bourden, chair of Hospitality NL who operates the Anchor Inn in Twillingate, says she's glad to hear that VRBO plans to remove the ad. (Sherry Vivian/CBC)
Not long after the VRBO ad was released, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, along with Target Marketing, released its own ad for the province set to I'se the By. Bourden said this new ad showed "all of the very quaint and beautiful rural and urban areas throughout our province of Newfoundland and Labrador."
Bourden pointed out the song has been in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame for years, and its lyrics resonate with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with roots in coastal culture.
"I would be surprised that it didn't touch the nerves, and the hearts and minds of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador in the way that it did," said Bourden.
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.
