But why quibble, right?
What's amazing isn't that BP reportedly spent $93 million between April and the end of July, or more than triple what the company spent on advertising in the same period last year, on selling its gauzy, feel-good affirmations to the American public.
It's that it's working. An Associated Press poll indicates that approval for the company's handling of the oil spill more than doubled from June to August. The villains have become the heroes in fewer than 12 weeks.
It's shocking, although maybe it shouldn't be, that BP was able to change public opinion so dramatically, and so quickly, with really such little substance to back them up.
Democrats like Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida are undoubtedly right that BP is "overdoing it" with its heavy-handed PR campaign, but really what they should be doing is asking for is the phone number of BP's ad agency.
If congressional Democrats could change the public's perception of them in a comparable way, Nancy Pelosi certainly would still be holding her speaker's gavel come January.
Article comments
1 - Arch Conservative
It's kinda hard to learn anything from anyone when you truly believe you're smarter than everyone else.
2 - Arch ConscienceStain
It's kinda hard to learn anything from...
Phratboi philosofie, served up with a layer of tasty irony. Yummee.
3 - Realist
Yes, for now it's working. But when prices rise for fish which has an oily taste, and when the stories this Christmas highlight the impoverishment of the Gulf, I doubt that any amount of money is going to rescue BP's reputation. It will only get worse, as the evidence of the Obama government's collusion in this crime comes t the fore like the growing evidence that most of the oil is still in the water. BP would be much better off honestly settling claims and repairing their damages, but we know that goes against the corporate grain.
4 - joan petersberge
British people invented Canterbury Hospital in Sydney. They monitor my poor old neighbour like he's Britney Spears. There's too much paranoia in this city. If you want to get in trouble, you like being bad, you like stupid people then come to this city.