Ad Boards Trying To Get Me To Join The Army?

Today I was just cruising around on BKL when I noticed one of the new style ad boards outside Stonebridge Park, I've always ignored these ads but this one piqued my interest. Mainly because it was an ad for the Royal Air Force. I'm all for real ads being used in games but when it comes to promoting the army in any way I'm not sure that's exactly tasteful when there is a huge demographic of children that play this game.


I asked in the discord server TSC and was questioned as to the fact that it's not something you see when flying past in a train but this ad board, in particular, was right next to a station where quite a few services stop at. This just seems like a poor choice of ad that either wasn't checked before being added or was just looked over as fine.

 

and whats wrong with considering the RAF as a career choice?

 

don't see the issue? It's literally no different than the pride/trans containers on Sherman hill or the trainbow 395 on that British route

 

Theres no way on this earth you just compared sexuality to the army

 

i dunno i wanna stay alive?

 

The military in many countries actively targets children, in the UK we have army, airforce and navy cadets actively recruiting in schools.

As a pacifist I'm totally against it but given that they are legally allowed to advertise and encourage recruitment in schools I don't see how an ad in video game is going to refuffle any feathers.

 

Just seems like it could have easily not been put in the game but was ignored, just seems kinda distastful to slap it in without thought.

 

Don’t see why it is distasteful. Children could equally well see similar ads in real life and on TV.

What is it we are supposed to be protecting children from here? They’re not exactly going to runaway from home to join the airforce because they drove a train past an ad.

Besides that, pretty sure you can turn the ads off (except the Pringles ones)

 

Is this courtesy of the new Bidstack integration?

Cheers

 

Yes.

 

Ngl if I gave my child a train game I wouldn't expect to see ads for joining the army, on the TV you would totally expect that as it's the TV.

 

I mean, if it's a problem, then turn the ads off?

 

I also find it distasteful but I turned them all off.

 

The game is meant to be an escape from reality. Best not to remind us that we happen to go round shooting each other across the world. Not like it'll ever end, but it has it's place. TSW? Not it for me.
(At least it's optional ig)

 

Such backward thinking, I shouldn't have to turn it off. it just shouldn't be there?

 

Sorry, my reply was based on this sentence in your original post,

If the issue is about the children that play this game, then yes it is comparable to the pride related stuff found in game.

 

Ngl the way you're wording this just sounds like your using "kids shouldn't see this" to pander to the fact you have an issue with it being in the game, i don't wanna name call but id be careful where you step with what you're saying.

 

How is a pride flag the same as an add for the RAF, one is a flag to represent a group group of people, similer to what a national flag aims to achieve, and one is an advertisement for the RAF, which is a goverment owned entity which does many things, including killing people.

 

First off, the Air Force is not the army, so stop misinforming people
Second, there are many many roles in all branches of the military which do not involve weapons. The ultimate use and aim of the military in the UK may be defence, but they also undertake many peacekeeping missions across the globe

I'm sure you'd prefer any adverts to be wholesome and wonderful, but I am yet to find one single company or commercial entity on the planet that fits that brief given all of them are power hungry money grubbing or biased in some fashion

 

I fully support our armed forces, yes they sometimes have to kill people as part of their job but it’s actually a nasty old world out there filled with people who wouldn’t hesitate to kill you in a heartbeat if they got half the chance. And that’s why there are measures such as rules of engagement to prevent abuse or misuse of power and the possibility of a court martial (though no firing squad these days) for those who fail to abide by them.

That said, I do wonder what might pop up next on these Bidstack adverts. We have had Coca Cola, now the armed services, what else can they offend [edited - JD - antagonistic language] with!

 

Same here fully support the UK armed forces. My late father was a regular in the British Army, for the first 13 years of my life. His dad fought for 4 years on the Western Front 1914 - 18, then returned to his job on the GWR.
Worse things to be seen on adverts these days.

 

I don't think it offended anyone. It's just that it has a time and a place and TSW isn't really the best for it. And I don't think throwing "snowflakes" around helps to take any discussion forward.

 

If an advert has appeared on a UK rail platform ad board then totally the right place (and they have)

I believe the "other" comment is meant to mean that those who are commenting on whether it should be there or not are either wishing for a different reality (where wars aren't needed) or want to hide from that reality

 

These young yobbos hanging around street corners. A spot of National Service would do them good. Mr Angry of Purley.

 

Actually I doubt it would. For the most part all it would do would be to teach them to fight more properly than they do now...

 

Not sure using the term "snowflake" helps here, it would be like the OP calling someone a "gammon", both expressions are toxic and help force generations of people apart not together.

Please reconsider your language as it may cause offense to some

 

you have the option of turning real life ads off.
It's a real life ad, get over it.

 

I'm just happy to be in this day and age where joining the army is a choice!

 

No.

If you have a problem, report it to a mod.

 

Okay if that's what you want. Maybe just avoid using it in future, reporting isn't usually my approach

 

On a side note fully support our troops however agree with OP not entirely sure we should be advertising it in a game that is marketed to people sub the joining age (16 in the U.K I believe?)

 

There's no legal limit in the UK on advertising military service, so the advert would not be covered by UK law on adverts aimed at kids.
I might agree that any advert limited to post watershed in the UK may not be advisable in game, but this isn't one of them (ie there's already rules for that)

 

Look at what's going on in the world, we need people to join the armed forces and also I would have thought that a lot of RAF roles would be technical in nature and potentially a good career move for a young person, so don't agree with the slant of this thread.

However this just reinforces why I don't like real life advertising in games, it's supposed to be escapism and as soon as you put something real in it's only a matter of time until it starts arguments like this, for whatever reason, which detract from the reason we are all here.

 

The ads don't bother me at all.

If it was a case of 3...2...1 your game will resume after ads then I would be .... off.

 

I'm against ads in a game where they weren't there when I bought it. But to be fair to DTG these ads are opt in (except Pringles) so it's a simple case of don't like them, don't opt in. (Assuming that you bother to read the text before clicking Agree).

Also seems that the ads are country dependent. I turned ads on last time I was in the UK just to see what popped up. I haven't turned them off, yet back in Switzerland, I never see a single ad. So I don't think DTG are breaking any laws, looks like bidstack choose which ads to push in which countries.

In any case I don't find it distasteful. As I stated earlier. I've seen ads for the Army, Navy and Airforce all over various media in the UK most of which is accessible to kids.

Sadly we are in a world where the armed forces are needed and I'm very thankful that people do a job that I personally wouldn't like to do.

 

I dislike all ads.

But I can't see how this ad is worse than the others? Here from time to time our armed forces air some spots on TV during normal day time, which tries to encourage people to start their career with our armed forces, stating their importance, the pride they take in their job, etc...

Not sure why this would be a taboo topic?

 

Personally I see nothing wrong with the advert as it doesn't show anything violent and as mentioned above a lot of roles in the RAF are engineering based or even more to do with peacemaking. Going back a few years my grandads brother were a RAF pilot and he took great pride in his job and so I see no reason why being in the RAF should be looked down at.

 

Dont really see anything wrong with the advert to be honest, kids will see recruitment adds for RAF, Navy or Army on You Tube ad's.
Ads on Social media are also readily viewable by kids these days ,so really in game to be honest personally I see no problem with it. Obviously you get / have the option to enable Bidstack ad's so its your choice whether you see them.

Hentis

 

I can't see a problem here either. The army has young cadets and is a good choice of career where you can learn a good set of skills for the future. There are adverts for the army on the TV and other places at prime time when children will be watching.

 

I can Unserstand the Guys WHO dont Like the ad beceause its about the Army, gut think Like this in the World as this Point the Guys eho Join the Army Just want to defend there on country. I dont See the Problem.

 

Why is it any different? I would say you are more likely to see ads on the TV during prime time that you might not want your children to see than you will on TSW. The army has cadets who are still at school, there is one close to me and they seem to do a good job with the youngsters. Some of the ads of TV I think are very much detrimental to the development of young people, army/RAF ads certainly not.

 

Well they don't go out and decide to unilaterally kill people, I think you will find when they do, there is a reason!

I am sure most people who join the RAF will never go anywhere near a battlefield or a combat situation and as has been stated the army/RAF/Navy is more than just combat training, there are many skills people can learn. The RAF often help out in mountain and sea rescue for example or transporting supplies.

 

in the mid 1970's my dad saw an advert that asked if he wanted to see the world, learn new skills and be part of the new electronics revolution that was coming, the pay would start at over double what he was earning as a printer at the time.

He went on to join the RAF signals unit (communications) signed on for 2 years (i think it was at first) was posted to america for a bit, then an island in the maldives (to dismantle a radar system) then was posted to near weston super mare.... where he met my mum.

He loved that he was learning what was cutting edge technology at the time, playing with the big satellite dishes that communicated with the sky lab etc.

So he decided to sign on for another 22 years,
ok he had a 3 month tour somewhere else abroad not long after i was born, but after that it was family tours, and i got to partially grow up in Germany thanks to 2 tours there that lasted most of the 1980's, something i will forever be thankful for.

After his 22 years were up, he left the forces and became an IT contractor, with skills learnt in the RAF plus lots of courses they'd sent him on (and paid for) to ensure he had skills useful back in the civvie world.....
he was able to charge £450 a day for his services when he started in the mid 1990's, and had constant 2 year contracts increasing in cost until he retired aged 60.


He only ever fired guns during training exercises, as his job was to ensure secure communications were maintained for the guys doing the fighting,
so not every forces job means you are out there killing people, and i am proud to be a forces brat and to have grown up the way i did,

 

I noticed the ad too. Seems inoffensive and would actually run on the Tube.

 

This has been fun, not only to see how people react but how some people's true colours show when you push the right buttons. I only intended to make this post to raise awareness of something people might take offense to. But this has been much more interesting than i expected.

 

Im confused. How is snowflake a bad word and toxic to use in this discussion? That just sounds odd. Granted Im viewing that as an American so must be a British thing although snowflake isnt a bad word at all

 

Military adverts in a video game. This company makes some odd choices. What's next? Are they gonna put Rishi Sunak advertisements to advertise his bid for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Will we see advertisements for the labor party in 2024? Heck, militaries are just here to solve and stop political disputes so I wouldn't be surprised if they put advertisements for political candidates.

 

I did wonder too especially as I hadn't directed the adjective as a personal comment, more of a general reflection on society. Perhaps I should have used the term "sensitive people".

 

I guess dovetail don't know what snowflake means and forgot that British players are not the only players in this forum.

I'd never expect the word "snowflake" to offend some people