Scientology's Promo campaign
or: how to anger the press
while dodging your critics
a.r.s., July 25, 199

I decided I would. The journalist and I made an appointment. The journalist made arrangements with CoS. I posted a message to nl.scientology and to our critics mailing list in order to tell people that CoS had open house and would launch a campaign, and that I was going to take a look. I refrained from mentioning that there would be a tv-crew and that there would be interviews, to prevent the presence of those who would only go their for sensational purposes.

This morning, at almost twelve, the journalist phoned me. She told me that CoS had phoned her with the news that they had some trouble with the bus and that they hoped it wouold be repaired later this afternoon; meanwhile, the launch of the campaign had been postponed until four o'clock.

We rescheduled our appointment. I did a follow-up to my earlier postings, telling that the launch would not be at 14:00 but at 16:00.

At three, the journalist called me again. She had just phoned CoS to ask whether they would be able to make it at four. Julia Rijnvis - the local PR woman - was unreacheable; the journalist was put through to somebody else. That person explained that unfortunately, Miss Holland 1993 had been in a bit of a hurry, so that they had had to reschedule the launch, and that it had already taken place at one o'clock this afternoon. (It would seem that they had been able to repair that bus real quick - within the hour, even; must be those gnarly OT-powers!) In short, this CoS person explained to the AT5 journalist, the whole thing had been done two hours ago.

The journalist was furious. She had made arrangements; had selected video fragments from AT5's archives; she'd prepared some texts; she had claimed time on one of the news shows; had made reservations for a tv-crew. "Send them a bill for it," I suggested, but although she laughed,she was rather angry.

Later, I got e-mail from some other people. Around four o'clock some of the critics had indeed been at the org's front door, but all they saw were eight balloons - red and yellow - and some thirty people inside. But there was one person who had missed my warnings of rescheduling. He showed up at two o'clock. And yes, the campaign was launched at that hour.

It would seem that CoS wanted to dodge us, and had developped a sudden severe dislike of having me being interviewed there.

What they managed to do is piss of the local TV station and get me an afternoon off to sit with my beloved on a terrace.

Here's the report of the one critic who did witnes the launch of the campaign:

"The bus arrived at 14.00, there was a mini-speech. Miss Holland '93 (not my type, to be honest; my SO is much more beautiful ;-)) let some balloons fly away and uttered some 'the best of succes' things (while the microphone ssuffered from backfeeding). At best, there were thirty people. A big yellow bus, the "Dianetics Roadshow"; on top it had space for a live band who played "It's now or never" and more such evergreens; they were dressed in red Dianetics shirts. On the side of the bus were texts such as:

"Come inside for a
free video and a
free personality test"

Strange guys, these Scientologists... strange kinda type, too, kind of low-life. I left shorly after two, when the danger that I'd be put through their machinery and subjected to a personality test grew (they started to try and get passers-by to do their test).

There were 2 press photographers.

Copyright Karin Spaink.
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