# Caught in the Treads: Unethical Advertising in the ATV Industry



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Caught in the Treads: Unethical Advertising in the ATV Industry

John Rebers <[email protected]>

In April 2002, the Isaac Walton League issued a report "Caught in the Treads: Unethical Advertising in the ATV Industry". The ORV industry set up a group called "Tread Lightly" with the supposed objective of promoting "responsible" ATV use and advertising. The IWLA report, available at http://www.iwla. showed how many ATV/ORV manufacturers and dealers failed to live up to the advertising guidelines promoted by "Tread Lightly".

The recent "Rip up the dunes" ad , in the Lansing State Journal, by Groves Motor Sports in Mason, Michigan shows where Bombardier and Grove Motor Sports really stand.

Bombardier is a founding member of "Tread Lightly", as indicated in one of their newsletters (see below).

Founding Members of Tread Lightly!, Inc. 
4 Wheel and Off-Road Magazine 
American Motorcyclist Association 
American Isuzu Motors, Inc. 
ARB Corporation 
Automobile Magazine 
B.A.S.S., Inc. 
Bass Pro Shops 
Bassin Magazine 
Bestop, Inc. 
Bombardier, Inc - Ski Doo Snowmobile 
California State Parks and Recreation 
Chrysler Motor Corporation 
Coleman Company 
Cotter and Company 
Jeep/Eagle Division 
Coyne Communications 
Ford Motor Company 
Forrest Tool Company 
Four Wheeler Magazine 
Geo Tracker Chevrolet Motor Division 
Guns and Ammo Magazine 
Harry Lewellyn 
Harvey-Daco Company 
Hot Truck 
Consultant in OHV Education 
Hunter Education Association 
Hunting 
Idaho State Fish and Game Department 
International Snowmobile Industry Association Izaak W Hunter Safety Instruction 
Jeep Jamboree, Inc. 
Mazda Motor of America, Inc. 
McMullen Publishing 
Michelin Tire Corporation 
Motorcycle Industry Council, Inc 
National 4-H Council 
National Automobile Dealers Association 
Nissan Motor Corporation, USA 
Off-Road Magazine 
Pirelli Armstrong Tire Corporation 
Popular Mechanics Magazine 
Ramsey Winch Company 
Range Rover of North America, Inc. 
Restaurants Ltd. 
Sports Afield Magazine 
The Powell Group 
The Pearlman Group, Inc. 
Timberwolf Productions 
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. 
United Four Wheel Drive Assoc. 
USDA Forest Service 
USDI Bureau of Land Management 
Utah State Parks and Recreation 
Utah Department of Wildlife Resources 
W.A.T.E.R. Education 
Warn Industries 
Westvaco Corporation

The groups web site is at http://www.treadlightly.org/" eudora="autourl 

John Rebers ([email protected])
Central Upper Peninsula Group, Sierra Club
338 West Crescent Street
Marquette, MI 49855


906-228-3617 (H)
906-227-1585 (w)


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## unregistered55 (Mar 12, 2000)

> The recent "Rip up the dunes" ad , in the Lansing State Journal, by Groves Motor Sports in Mason, Michigan shows where Bombardier and Grove Motor Sports really stand.


Beg to differ with this one. 

Depends on how you interpret it. Do you consider "Ripping" driving fast or do you consider "Ripping" the process or damaging or destruction of land, soil and vegetation.

This ad COULD show Groves stands in regards to "Tread Lightly". Keep in mind this Advertising was bought and paid for by Groves not by Bombardier. 

This is nothing more than propaganda to rile up the "Tree Huggers". I would file this one in the waste basket. Why doesn't the Sierra Club go after Golf Courses for destroying land. I consider Golfing much more "Unethical" compared to snappy, descriptive advertising in a newspaper.

-Goosewa


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