Shelter finds ad offensive

When Hardees executives launched an advertisement that asks customers to "make a homeless person happy," they had no idea how unhappy a Bloomington transitional housing center would be. \nShelter Inc., 919 South Rogers St., is demanding an apology for a Hardee's Restaurants ad campaign because shelter officials say it is offensive toward homeless people.\nA Hardee's representative, however, said last week that no apology is necessary and no changes to the ad will be made.\nHardee's approach in promoting the restaurant chain's new "Six Dollar Burger for $3.95" has rubbed the employees and residents of Shelter Inc. the wrong way. Placemats within the chain's restaurants list 38 suggestions for what customers might do with the two dollars they save by purchasing the Hardee's burger rather than a more expensive one.\nThe sixth suggestion, "Make a homeless person really happy," follows the fifth item, "Replace your shoelaces."\nShelter Inc. addressed a letter to the Herald-Times last week urging Hardee's to apologize for the ad campaign. Along with Shelter Inc. executive director, Cortne O'Neill, over 100 other people signed the letter.\n"Is this to say that you can make a homeless person really happy for the same price as it takes to replace you shoelaces?" the letter questions.\nLarry Brayman, director of corporate affairs for Hardee's in St. Louis, insists the placemat is only meant as a joke and refuses to acknowledge it as anything other than comical.\n"Wow, that's hard to believe," Brayman said of the criticism. "The piece is meant to be humorous and, if anything, it draws positive attention to the homeless. They should be happy about it. In no way does it have any negativity or malice to any homeless people."\nShelter Inc. and O'Neill strongly disagree.\nThe housing center insisted the placemat be immediately rescinded and a formal apology be issued to residents at Shelter Inc.\n"The campaign had a tendency to dehumanize and devalue homeless people," O'Neill said.\nBrayman expressed his surprise about the negative response to what he called the most successful advertising campaign for a new product in the history of the company.\n"It seems like a lot of energy wasted on a non-issue," he said.\nO'Neill said Shelter Inc. doubts they will take any serious legal action against the Hardee's corporation.\n"At this point all we want are the placemats removed and an apology," O'Neill said. "To be honest, I'm not sure we'll pursue anything else"