Published: Thursday, 14th January, 2010 7:10am
VIDEO: 'We're for Fife' campaign defended by council leader
by Gary Fitzpatrick
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FIFE COUNCIL leader Peter Grant has defended the part-funding of a feel-good TV advertising campaign when the cash-strapped Kingdom is facing difficult decisions on spending cut-backs.
The upbeat 'We're for Fife' promos were aired on prime time slots when many communities were still up in arms over treacherous ice-bound streets and pavements being left ungritted for weeks and refuge bins not being lifted.
The 'We're for Fife' song and video - based on the 'We're 4 New York' campaign which has been used to promote the Big Apple for almost 20 years - was put together by local radio station Kingdom FM and backed by council money.
The song was recorded by American singers and musicians at a studio in Dallas and has been screened during the intervals of top-rated shows such as Coronation Street and Dancing on Ice.
The £5000 put up for the project by Fife Council was money which could have been better spent, said Labour group leader Alex Rowley.
He commented, "What has been more clear than ever over the last few weeks is that people want to see delivered the basic services, be it gritting of streets and paths, on street lighting or filling pot-holes.
"Once Fife Council can show it's able to deliver the basic services then it can turn its attention to other things such as the 'Celebrating Fife' year and TV adverts.
"I have a lady in my ward who has arthritis, can't use her bath and has been assessed as needing a shower installed but Fife Council say they don't have enough money so she will have to wait until whenever it becomes available.
"If she was watching the advert saying Fife's such a great place I'm not sure she'd agree as she's having to go to a friend's house to use her shower and her condition has worsened."
The high-profile exposure has ensured it is a hot topic of discussion in the area with opinions divided over the merits of the video and jingle.
Labour MSP John Park said, "The idea is good and there are some good aerial images but I'm not too keen on the jingle.
"I've heard quite a lot of comments about the ads from constituents and none of them have been favourable so far.
"If we're having such a high profile campaign across Scotland, we certainly have enough talented creative people in Fife to produce something better.
"Why didn't we get the Skids to sing on it?"
Kingdom FM managing director Kevin Brady said there had been "overwhelming" support from those contacting the station and endorsements from companies such as Babcock.
"It's a subjective thing whether people like the content but I can't believe local people wouldn't want to get behind the spirit of the campaign in promoting Fife."
He said, "We have two aims with the campaign.
"The first is to create civic pride throughout Fife and empower Fifers and make them feel great about Fife."
Council leader Peter Grant said, "It's a fantastic initiative from Kingdom FM and I nearly bit Kevin Brady's hand off when he approached me about it.
"I think the advert works very well. It won't be to everybody's taste but then you couldn't get a song that would please everybody and it would be unfair to criticise people who have worked so hard on it."
Allan Russell, chief executive of Fife Chamber of Commerce, said, "We're delighted to have been asked to participate and it's high time we started acting collectively in making a concerted effort to promote Fife."
Have your say on the video by voting now in our online poll (home page).
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Grifter
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Jan 14 10 12:36
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"BACKED BY COUNCIL MONEY" In other words more of our council tax wasted.
Couldn't they at least had the song recorded in Fife by someone local???
Bunch of clowns
Father Ted
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Jan 14 10 12:42
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If the advert was even halfway credible, it wouldn't seem quite so bad.
As it is, the cringe-factor is through the roof...
Paul McGowan
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Jan 14 10 12:51
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Did they really airbursh out the Mossmorran Vent Tower from the Forth Video shots?
I think it would have 10 times more credibility if Fife Council had stayed out of it.
Was its strategy to encourage more over paid Council Executives to Fife?? LOL
Happy Fifer
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Jan 14 10 13:29
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I think it was a great initative and Im ashamed by fellow fifers who cant see the good in trying to promote our wonderful kingdom. Yes I agree its not to everyones taste But do feel that some of our councillors are only using it to make themselveslook good. Why didnt they come out and help their constituants clear the paths rather than blame the council?? Why do they always have to rip apart good ideas is it because they couldnt think of a good idea themselves?!!
Good on you Kingdom FM and all the other participating partners in at least trying to do something to promote Fife.
James Donlan
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Jan 14 10 14:39
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The irony is New Yorkers whose Grandparents came from Fife have joined the Facebook Group "The we're from Fife video is an embarrassment to Fifers". They have even managed to offend Hollywood actress Marianne Hagan- star of Halloween 6 and whose grandmother came from Glencraig - who has joined the Faceboook campaign.
Oor Wullie
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Jan 14 10 16:27
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Half the clowns running Fife Council are so out of touch they probably wont even know what Facebook is.
Personally, I think it's embarrassing, and a complete waste of taxpayers money. This lot are beyond a joke....
Neil Dawson
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Jan 14 10 16:44
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I'm all for Fife and civic pride but I'm against this awful, humiliating advert.
Notice that KingdomFM have blocked commenting on all versions of the video on YouTube because they can't handle the feedback from the people it was supposed to reach.
I'm sure it was made with the best of intentions, however the outcome has done nothing but harm the image of the county. Fifers are embarrassed, Scots elsewhere are laughing at us, I can only imagine what the rest of the world is thinking.
ziggyGee
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Jan 14 10 17:03
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I think it is a disgrace to Fife - This audio clip makes a bit more sense
http://soundcloud.com/ziggygee/were-fae-fife-lawd
Alan
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Jan 14 10 17:35
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£5000.00 is a drop in the ocean compared to a council budgets! There are plenty of places to find that amount without depriving old dears of a shower. (Are the bin men being paid at the moment?)
More to the point - this add is a kitch classic. Its awful, but its good awful! Must dash, I need to duck under these formation biplanes.
Alan
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Jan 14 10 17:42
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£5000.00 is a drop in the ocean compared to a council budgets! There are plenty of places to find that amount without depriving old dears of a shower. (Are the bin men being paid at the moment?)
More to the point - this add is a kitch classic. Its awful, but its good awful! Must dash, I need to duck under these formation biplanes.
Alan
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Jan 14 10 17:48
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£5000.00 is a drop in the ocean compared to a council budgets! There are plenty of places to find that amount without depriving old dears of a shower. (Are the bin men being paid at the moment?)
More to the point - this add is a kitch classic. Its awful, but its good awful! Must dash, I need to duck under these formation biplanes.
Terry
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Jan 14 10 20:02
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What a waste of money!! Cheap video with clips of the same people over and over, surely there are better things to show in Fife than them! I'm all for promoting where you live, but if you are going to pay for something, get it done properly and not waste money on this tosh!!
dung
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Jan 14 10 21:04
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pure dung
Sally
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Jan 14 10 21:51
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As usual Fife stops at St.Andrews. What about North East Fife - The Tay Coast area?
The Fly Fifer
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Jan 15 10 06:11
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Honestly, whom approved this?...It's terrible!
It's like a joke that you'd see on Chewin The Fat!
I've never been more humiliated to be a Fifer!!!
king of Fife
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Jan 15 10 12:35
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Personal taste does not come into it.
Why is the advert, to promote pride in Fife, based on anything but Fife? Fife has an identity all of its own. All this talk of this being a positive campaign is nonsense. Whats more negative than using a second hand ad and facilities in Texas?...It speaks volumes of what the creators really think of Fife! An ad promoting Fife should be Made by Fife and 100% about Fife. The creators speak of pride for Fife yet chose not to record an original song in Fife with Fife talent instead they went to Texas USA to record an American song with American musicians and singers. They seemed to have shown no love for the county they are meant to be promoting!
sal
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Jan 15 10 12:43
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The advert showed very little of Fife and was too repetitive. What a waste of a wonderful idea/opportunity. Fife's got beautiful towns & villages, wonderful countryside and fantastic local events throughout the year but this horrible advert had nothing recognisable in it that said "Fife" to me. It was cheesy, cringeworthy, poorly filmed and the "kids from fame" music is appalling. Perhaps the people who produced it want the rest of the world to stay away!!
Happy fifer
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Jan 15 10 13:26
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I think some of the people making comments should consider the feelings of the kids in the video who gave up their own time to appear in it. Do you not have any consideration for these peoples feelings with your crass comments. I find such people so insular, mis informed. It is these people who make me embarrassed to be a Fifer not the video or the campaign itself.
Shame on you all, how would you like it if it was one your kids that was being slated.
Boaby Digital
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Jan 15 10 13:56
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I haven't seen the advert but having listened to Kingdom FM at work over the past few weeks I can honestly say the 'We're From Fife' song has seriously made me consider switching to Forth FM for good. Whoever thought some sort of 'High School Musical' knockoff song was an appropriate way to represent Fife needs to explain themselves.
king of Fife
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Jan 15 10 14:19
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Personal taste does not come into it.
Why is the advert, to promote pride in Fife, based on anything but Fife? Fife has an identity all of its own. All this talk of this being a positive campaign is nonsense. Whats more negative than using a second hand ad and facilities in Texas?...It speaks volumes of what the creators really think of Fife! An ad promoting Fife should be Made by Fife and 100% about Fife. The creators speak of pride for Fife yet chose not to record an original song in Fife with Fife talent instead they went to Texas USA to record an American song with American musicians and singers. They seemed to have shown no love for the county they are meant to be promoting!
GlenyD
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Jan 15 10 14:45
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I think the advert is amusing - but seriously for all the wrong reasons! The people who made this are sooo out of touch with the realities of life in this area it's unbelievable. I for one don't know of anyone who goes walking along the coast barefoot on what looks like a pretty cold day. Total waste of money - and as usual gullible companies and organisations get behind it thinking it will make them look good. Well - it's left them looking like fools!
EXPAT
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Jan 15 10 14:49
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"I think the advert works very well. It won't be to everybody's taste but then you couldn't get a song that would please everybody and it would be unfair to criticise people who have worked so hard on it."
I think we are well within our rights to criticise the song. It is a budget production with many flaws. I agree with the concept but the outcome has not fulfilled the intention. Such a wasted opportunity.
It has been badly put together and does not convey a strength of image that I'm sure the council would like.
But it has got people talking so in a sense it is creating a dialogue whether it be negative or positive.
king of Fife
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Jan 15 10 14:51
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Happy Fifer I struggled to see any comments that had a go at the kids in the video. Could you please point them out to me?
I feel that those kids where let down by a campaign that not once considered them or the people of Fife.
I am unsure how it is "crass" to feel that Fife deserved better than cover version of an American campaign produced in America!
Kyle in Fife
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Jan 15 10 16:06
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I liked the idea of the campaign as a Fifer I do feel like Fife is not promoted as much as other parts of Scotland. It does have a lot to offer. I don't disagree with the money spent on the add just feel like it could of been a better output.
Other parts of Scotland seem to brand themselves so much better such as; the more recent branding of Dundee and Glasgow.
I don't feel like this video, the jingle song or the branding shows any spirit of Fife at all. Its great to see people active in Fife in the video but it doesn't even feel like Scottish kitch it feels American and cheesy. The song could of been done by any of Fife older or up coming bands, even other bands would of been nice.
I really like the idea of promoting Fife but not backing up this output.
Liz Pow
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Jan 15 10 16:28
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What a pity that none of the sponsers or Cnllr Park took the opportunity in the Press to acknowledge the input to this video by the young people from the \"Why Not? Musical Theatre Company\" They were brilliant!!
Sal
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Jan 15 10 16:36
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To have a go at people criticising the video just because it's got kids in it is patronising to the children. If people need to play the "sympathy card" to argue a case for it then it's even worse than I thought!
My opinion is that the advert is rubbish. OK, my opinion, but I am not narrow-minded enough to criticise anyone just for having a different opinion. If my children had been among those dancing I would still say the advert is awful and feel embarrassed for them as I do for the kids in this.
I love Fife and I applaud the idea, the campaign, and the use of local people/local children but this has been wasted on a cheesy production.
At least it's generating a debate - there's no such thing as bad publicity!
Sal
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Jan 15 10 16:38
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To have a go at people criticising the video just because it's got kids in it is patronising to the children. If people need to play the "sympathy card" to argue a case for it then it's even worse than I thought!
My opinion is that the advert is rubbish. OK, my opinion, but I am not narrow-minded enough to criticise anyone just for having a different opinion. If my children had been among those dancing I would still say the advert is awful and feel embarrassed for them as I do for the kids in this.
I love Fife and I applaud the idea, the campaign, and the use of local people/local children but this has been wasted on a cheesy production.
At least it's generating a debate - there's no such thing as bad publicity!
stu in fife
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Jan 15 10 22:28
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I think premoting fife is a great idea, the Kingdom has so much going for it, but why has it been showcased like this?
Everyone i know who has seen the video has laughed, surely thats not the impression we want the rest of the country to get of Fife?
I think the idea needs a little more planning and thinking, this seems like its been quickly put together with a lack of consideration for everything that fife has to offer
LindseyM
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Jan 16 10 00:07
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But they're promoting Fife...IN FIFE. Surely they need to think out the box a bit.
BILL ROBB
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Jan 16 10 10:34
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LindseyM, They should be in the box.
Here we have Fife Council Leader Peter Grant telling us again how cash-strapped Fife Council is.
I have already pointed out to him and all Fife Councillors, CE Ronnie Hinds, Dr Bob McLellan, and many other interested parties, that there can be no cash shortage as long as they continue to squander our cash on unnecessary humps, bumps, cushions, chicanes over-the-top signs and road artistry.
A further £80,000 has been allocated to do humpty dumpty in the Balldrigeburn and Bellyeoman areas in Dunfermline. Absolutely no evidence, AT ALL, has been produced for what they call traffic calming - a complete misnomer as is joy riding. You see, our cash abounds within the system, but unfortunately, it is being squandered by our employees, supposedly on our behalf.
Fife Council with 22,000 employees and an annual budget of £518 million, must be run in a much smarter way than presently. The real workers by far, are decent good hard workers, it is a pity the same cannot be said for many of their leaders.
Yes, a real box of tricksters, and we pay them.
jill in fife
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Jan 16 10 10:39
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i would like to start by saying i am not against civic pride in fife but this clip is not the way to do it. it is totally embarrassing. i want to apologies for being a fifer whenever i see it! it's not about the song not being to my taste, the whole thing seems poorly thought out and lacking in content, it also incredibly old fashioned.
As for the defence of it's inspiration coming from the 'we're for new york' campaign, there is no comparison. even after 18 years the new york one is still better. the fife version doesn't have the content to make it strong enough. it's missing families, single people, old people and many other aspects of fife life. as for the song, the new york version gets away with it for 2 reasons 1. it was 1992 and 2. they're american and cheesy soft rock is what they do best. we do the proclaimers and king creosote, where were they?
As someone else commented, fife has a massive amount of talented creative people who could have done a far better job more suited to fife.
Brian Young
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Jan 16 10 13:37
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I cannot possibly comment on this video without using many an expletive.
Nuff said
Scott Anderson
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Jan 16 10 23:43
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What a superb advert...i must say!
How much did it cost again???
Clearly an inspirational advert to show the level of..... unemployment within the Fife Area, lack of council housing, road & pavement maintenance etc etc...oh & once again...THAT USE OF PUBLIC MONEY TO MAKE SUCH A WORTHLESS POINTLESS TV ADVERT!
It's hardly New York is it folks, more like the Bronx!
It's time we got these CLOWNS out of office & normal people into Fife House etc that actually know how to spend money on more important things.
Absolutely disgusting....are we meant to be proud of seeing higland dancers doing a Jig of some sort :-s....Kilts are part of out national costume we all know this!
Great advert for the Kilt hire shop tho......how many times was it shown???
You bunch up in that main Fife CLOWN Council office really do not have a clue eh??
Sandi Thom can become famous via webcam on youtube/myspace etc....Fife CLOWN Council's approach, we'll get Americans to do what any bedroom broadcaster could do & pay them for the privilege.
Just out of sheer curiousity...did anyone from Fife CLOWN Council bother to ask the singers if they even knew where Fife was.....?
You lot certianly make me giggle!
Scott Anderson
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Jan 17 10 00:02
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knew there was something i forgot to add to the above.....
also the amount of empty shops on Fife's High Streets due to businesses not being able to survive because of the rates imposed on them etc.
Also the amount of funding that has went into warehouses/units/foreign fragile markets.....eg, B&Q Kirkcaldy ( supermarket proposed woo hoo..another one!), Hyundai Dunfermline, Lexmark Rosyth, Solectron Dunfermline, Amazon Units at Glenrothes....the list is endless!!
sorry ive ranted on a bit but.....gawd there is so much more i can put if it was allowed! LOL :-)
Scott Anderson
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Jan 17 10 00:17
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knew there was something i forgot to add to the above.....
also the amount of empty shops on Fife's High Streets due to businesses not being able to survive because of the rates imposed on them etc.
Also the amount of funding that has went into warehouses/units/foreign fragile markets.....eg, B&Q Kirkcaldy ( supermarket proposed woo hoo..another one!), Hyundai Dunfermline, Lexmark Rosyth, Solectron Dunfermline, Amazon Units at Glenrothes....the list is endless!!
sorry ive ranted on a bit but.....gawd there is so much more i can put if it was allowed! LOL :-)
cazzabee
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Jan 17 10 02:43
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#
Quote "king of Fife"
Personal taste does not come into it.
Why is the advert, to promote pride in Fife, based on anything but Fife? Fife has an identity all of its own. All this talk of this being a positive campaign is nonsense. Whats more negative than using a second hand ad and facilities in Texas?...It speaks volumes of what the creators really think of Fife! An ad promoting Fife should be Made by Fife and 100% about Fife. The creators speak of pride for Fife yet chose not to record an original song in Fife with Fife talent instead they went to Texas USA to record an American song with American musicians and singers. They seemed to have shown no love for the county they are meant to be promoting!"
Here here king of Fife...My thoughts exactly. How many wonderful musicians we have in this county but they chose to use none of them in this promotion. How much money could have been saved if they had used one of our local music/video studios and local musicians and more people/place than they are currently showing?? It's a sad state of affairs.
Chris
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Jan 17 10 16:51
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Anyone on face book should join the ever increasing group. Enough members and we can have our opinions really heard by the council. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=270280503335&ref=ts
sleekit
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Jan 18 10 13:02
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I'd just like to follow up on something Scott Anderson has touched on. The wannabe Americanisation of Fife in the "We're for Fife" is actually something that goes much deeper than just this video.
I'm from Dunfermline and it seems to me that more and more subsides are given to multi-national American corporations to open up shop in the the retail parks around the old grey toon than to developing Fife-based small businesses that used to thrive down the town in my mother and grandmother's day.
What we are ending up with in Fife is becoming a lot like American suburbia, standardised eating and shopping experience, retail workers on minimum wage without any passion for their work, everyone either in cars or in their houses, no one walking the streets, towns now founded on roundabouts rather than any centre. It could easily be argued that much of lower Fife is becoming suburbs of Edinburgh, providing services to commuters.
The are still lots of amazing pockets of individuality in Fife, rich with scenery, creativity and strong communities not represented in the video but what I'm talking about here is in the larger towns. We're creating towns where the citizens are completely reliant on the automobile. Will it take till oil peaks in the next 10-20 years and no-one can afford to drive till we start to question what we have lost? Our own identity like in the "We're for Fife" video?
king of Fife
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Jan 18 10 13:13
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Sleekit an excellent point well made!
king of Fife
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Jan 18 10 13:43
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I would love to see the Fife Free press and the Dunfermline press etc launch a competition inviting all Fifers to do better and post on you tube... ...Such a campaign would truly promote civic pride.Even the most humble productions made with a zero budget would display a more honest interpretation of Fife life than the horror inflicted upon us by Kingdom FM et al.
Romy
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Jan 18 10 13:51
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So cringeworthy, it makes me want to hide my face behind my hands whenever it comes on. As a non resident of Fife it hardly makes me want to visit. Totally rubbish.
Sal
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Jan 18 10 14:28
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King of Fife, what a good idea!
The advert could have been run as a competition within Fife, perhaps for high schools or other local organisations to enter which would involve the community a lot more. The £5,000 could have been prize money to benefit the community/school rather pay overseas "artists" who aren't identified with Fife at all.
I'm sure local schoolkids would have been able to do lots of video clips of activities and the wonderful scenery all around Fife to make us Fifers proud. What a fantastic school project it could have been.
There's lots of music festivals run in Fife - many brilliant local Ceilidh bands and school bands - what a shame they weren't used.
Let's hope Kingdom fm take the comments on board. The advert was a wonderful idea and could have been so much more! Perhaps they'll do better next time (if there is a next time)
Meanwhile, as I'm heartily sick of the cheesy music I am now enjoying Tay fm!
JB
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Jan 18 10 15:10
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This makes Fife look 2nd rate. The irony is that this video will put people off living,studying, taking holidays, working and doing business in Fife.
Yes the idea is fine but the whole production is seriously amateurish.
Reminds me of a 1st year Secondary School video club project.
Scott Anderson
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Jan 18 10 20:15
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"Sal"
Please nooooooooo 2nd attempts!!!
The first one was bad enough!
Who actually decided to suggest that the advert should take the original soundtrack??
They should be fired!!!
Arabest
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Jan 18 10 20:59
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A truly dreadful production that says little about the real qualities of Fife.
I agree with the King of Fife - I'm sure the Media students at Adam Smith College could have produced a far more positive campaign production.
I love the idea of promoting Fife - I do it every day - but this is shocking!
And Peter Grant thinks that the £5000 offer was a great deal? Let me get my consulting hat on and pay him a visit!
Robbie Stirling
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Jan 19 10 09:19
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Terrible, it makes fifers out to be the cast of a fricking musical!
We clearly need to get these finances sorted since we seem to be able to send money on this trash but not on gritters??
We need to really rethink our finances and get them in order.... im all for promoting fife i do it all the time but this is not a good promotion idea!!!
gorodon douglas
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Jan 19 10 10:40
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when have you ever seen any of that in fife...why would we want people to beleive its so nice and brilliant when some people who live here are scared to walk the streets alone?
oh yeah and now we all basically look like a bunch of musical loving females to the rest of scotland, we are a laughing stock thank you very much peter grant
kim
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Jan 19 10 11:12
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I'm all for advertising fife.. think it was a good idea but could have been done better. But as a 19 year old living in fife, there actually isn't much for me to do, the money spent on this video would have been much better spent on activities and entertainment for fifers rather than trying to bring others here.
Don S
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Jan 19 10 12:32
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At firs****hought it was a homage to the opening scene in the film "The Full Monty"!So wrong on many levels.
Red Arrows and "Big Man Walking" are not Fife phenomena. Fife has a wealth of singing talent that would have done the County more justice - oh and the Fire Service is not the only emergency sevice in Fife!
What was missed? Dunfermline - ancient Capital of Scotland, St Andrews - Religous Epicentre of the world at one time. East Neuk - scenic and rich in Fishing and Mining Heritage, Elie highly regarded for wind surfing, Woodland, Parks, mountain biking, so many outdoor activities available. British Open Golf at St Andrews, and some of the best courses in the world. Jack Vettriano OBE? Adam Smith is slightly famous! Proclaimers - Edith Bowman. Links Market (longest in Europe) Lammas Market (oldest surviving medieval market)
We should be celebrating Fife - not apologising for it!
This video looks and feels cheap and unresearched!
shelley
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Jan 19 10 12:57
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i think they should have allowed mroe people for fife to makes this video i.e people in the communities ask what they lvoe about fife what made them want to live her etc and get rid of all the stupid cheesy stuff. my youth clubs in krikcaldy are making there own version of this video and were going to show you how to make a real fife vide.
get it off the telly!
Christine
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Jan 19 10 13:07
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Who had final approval for this? The idea behind it is good, just a shame they went and done an amateur production highlighting nothing that would entice people to come to Fife. Fireman? Hairdressers? Surely these are all over the UK and not just in Fife. As for going to Nashville to record the song that is ridiculous - we have so much musical talent and recording studios here that could have been used. The fact the Council spent £5k on this in our worst winter ever when every day priorties can't be completed is just sickening. Did their Corporate Comms team not get involved either? This would never be approved in our comms team. The video is dated, not representative of Fife at all and an embarrassment.
Fionnuala
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Jan 19 10 13:32
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Terrible. Just terrible. I doesn't depict Fife in any way. Weddings happen everywhere and why are the firemen walking AWAY from the fire? What kind of message does that show. Firsts thoughts when I finished watching this ad were 1) I am not for this Fife Advert 2) It looks like an ad put together by a bunch of 14 years olds doing a project for youthclub. Shocking.
Joan
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Jan 20 10 21:36
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Catchy tune, video is pants, bad editing, what's with the wedding, dancers, snakes and lizards? Really representing Fife - I think not.Obviously there is only one beach here(Largo, no golf courses (we actually have 40)- supposedly this is to help promote the area??? No wonder Youtube are not allowing comments about it.This video was a good idea badly excecuted.We have the talent in Fife so who organised this piece of rubbish?
Miller
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Jan 21 10 13:44
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"Kingdom FM managing director Kevin Brady said there had been "overwhelming" support from those contacting the station and endorsements from companies such as Babcock."
If there's so much overwhelming support, how come KingdomFM have disabled the comments section on YouTube? Why can't we read these positive comments?
It's an outdated rip off from a 20 year old US campaign. Hardly an accurate reflection of Fife or at least what little of Fife is shown in this pathetic attempt at promotion.
Robert
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Jan 21 10 15:48
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I have just viewed the advert (?). It did not show FIFE. If an area is to be promoted then it must be shown. Far too repetitive and as a Fifer myself that unfortunately is no longer living in Fife. If I was thinking of visiting the area this would not incourage me or anyone else to visit.
Somone MUST do a lot better than this.
Embarrassed
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Jan 21 10 20:39
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Horrifically embarassing - this is supposed to have been created by a professional company. If this is the level of quality we can expect from the makers then I'm not sure they're going to be in business much longer. This is NOT a great ad for their creative capabilities.
Reminds me of something cringeworthy you'd expect to see coming out of ex-soviet states from about 15 years ago.
I hope they enjoyed their paid jolly to Texas.
roy mcintosh
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Jan 22 10 18:46
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What a load of garbage. As long as you have a village idiot like P Grant spouting off what chance do we have!?
langscorneypoon
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Jan 23 10 15:42
Our Ref: 8066
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It actually took me back to my childhood - it reminds me of those appalling 'summertime specials' on the telly in the '70s. Naff music, corney choreography. My guess it was produced by a bunch of arts students with no creativity.
It said nothing about Fife as a place.
Boris
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Jan 27 10 11:57
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What a disgraceful and embarrassing bit of tasteless plagiarism. The original is cheesy pap, and the copy is worse.
Sal
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Jan 28 10 17:19
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To Scott Anderson
You were right! I withdraw my comments about Kingdom fm taking comments on board and doing better next time.
Kevin Brady of Kingdom fm is now saying he deliberately wanted an American feel to the advert (to promote civic pride in FIFE - hmmmmmm)...
.....and he "couldn't get the quality of musicians" in Fife - doesn't say a lot for civic pride if he thinks so little of our wonderful, talented local musicians (though he must have a high opinion of his songwriting skills - apparently he wrote the lyrics to the song!!!!).
Mr Brady has also said the advert was targeted at the 25-54 age bracket, so why was there virtually nobody in this age bracket in the video? I fall firmly into that age bracket and so does virtually everyone I know. We all find the video horrifically embarrassing and the only person I know who hasn't slated it is a council employee who has said he has to defend it.
I would like to hear from this "overwhelming majority" we keep hearing about who think so highly of the advert (council and kingdom fm employees excluded please) so they can tell me what I am missing.
Steven
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Jan 28 10 21:34
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Fife does have everything and it's just the place for tourists (Shame the sentiment of that old line was not portrayed in the advert). The idea of promoting Fife is good, bringing tourism, trade and money to Fife is good, making people aware of what Fife has to offer is good - this advert is bad. After I first saw the advertisement, I thought wow, the sea life centre should be renamed the epicentre of Fife due to the number of scenes repeated. People running on a beach and people dancing on a stage are all very well and I know there is limited time to work with. However, there was nothing about the history and scenery of the east neuk or any of the fantastic productions at either the Adam Smith, the Byre or Rothes Halls. Every village and town in Fife has a story, whether it be people, history, events, etc. The best examples are St. Andrews, Anstruther, Dunfermline, Pittenweem, Glerothes, Auchtermuchty and Kirkcaldy.
The advert was a stereotypical image of Fife that has put us in with the same category as the perception of Scotland as a whole. Such a great opportunity to bring information to the masses on a worthy subject lost, ruined crumbled before my eyes. We've been knocked back to the Kingdom of Fib rather than modern Fife.
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