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Who's Really Behind The Prevent Celebrity Divorce Billboards
It turns out that the mysterious billboards that starting popping up around L.A. with messages directed at celebrities asking them to stop divorcing are all part of a marketing ploy—for a reality TV show.
The billboards, which were made to look as if they were coming from the Society For The Prevention of Celebrity Divorce (a fake organization which already had a ridiculous name to begin with), were part of an advertising campaign for the show, Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars, according to a WE tv press release. It's the type of show that helps "celebrities" (from reality shows like Jersey Shore and The Bachelor) repair their marriages.
The signs now have a new message over them that direct Angelenos to check out the new TV show that premieres this week on the network.
Originally, the billboards read like open letters to Hollywood stars, asking them to stop "consciously uncoupling" (a jab at Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's recent separation) to save the relationships of common folk who looked up to celebs and followed in their footsteps. They had a very authoritative-looking guy (who could have been a stand-in for a lawyer who advertises his services on late-night TV commercials), J. Robert Butler, as the spokesman for the billboards. The marketing folks even created a detailed website with a back story on Butler's fake crusade to save celebrity marriages; he wrote on the website that it stemmed from how he was saddened when his daughter got divorced.
Sponsored message
This feels like the WE tv folks may have followed in the footsteps of comedian Nathan Fielder, who was the mastermind behind the Dumb Starbucks store that popped up in Los Feliz in February and turned out to be a stunt. We'll dub this one as "Dumb Billboards."
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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