Our July newsletter asked our readers what they thought about using Playboy Playmate Rebecca Scott (right) as our spokesmodel. In the past, Rebecca received a whopping 99% approval rating, and after reading the responses to this article, the same ratio has seemed to hold true. The vast majority of the responses we received were in opposition to Mike Wendland's viewpoint on the issue and in agreement with Rob Blackstein's opinion on the matter. We would like to thank all who took the time to respond and give us their feedback on the issue, regardless of which side was chosen. At SCOTTeVEST, we appreciate all of the comments and suggestions we receive from our customers, and appreciate their interest in our company and the products we sell. Thanks for voicing your opinions!

Below are just some selected responses.

"Get real Mike." -Lane A.

"I'm a girl, heh, and I think it is great you were to get [Rebecca Scott] for your spokesmodel. When I just found out about your company, that immediately told me that you all were real and in it to win it. It was brilliant marketing strategy.... Whenenver I talk to the guys, and it is pretty much all guys in the PPC industry, I always mention, 'And you know, they have Rebecca Scott as their spokesmodel...' And the guys always go, "You mean, Rebecca Scott, the playmate? Wow.' "

"Mike - you need to get a life. I have seen sexier photos in ads for plumbing fixtures and kitchen equipment."

"Dear Rebecca, as a true geek, I feel that all this advertisement noise is a waste of bandwidth. But you make eVEST worth the disk space. WOW and thanks." -Jim

"Please count me as one of the 0.1% of people responding negatively to your use of sexual motifs in your advertising. If the SCOTTeVEST is really that good, you shouldn't have to appeal to prurient interests to sell it. There are already too many companies trying to exploit men's natural sexual curiosities and erotic urges. Hope you can tone it down a bit. A pretty girl in your ads is one thing, but making the mental tie-in with a centerfold nude takes it a step too far."

"I appreciate your advertising efforts and feel that you are portraying your products in a very positive light. In fact this just made me get off the fence and want to purchase your vest.... Good Luck." -Brandon L.

"If you continue to get flack about using Rebecca Scott as a model then set them up for an interview with her, and I'm sure their mind we be changed almost instantly."

"Dear Mike, I would love to have your old eVEST. Can you donate it to an Australian in need? Maybe I should let my teenage daughter have it, as she is very techno geeky. Please say yes." -Adrian B.

"I did not purchase your because of the promotion of a sex object wearing your product. It was offensive to me." -Chris A.

"Maybe this Mike Wendland is gay? Not as a put down but as a statement of fact, and he is jealous of your model having the goods he can't have. It happens..."

"... I thought that your pics were tasteful, and well within the American standards, as pin up girls are also an American standard.... Do not let the little things get in the way, for as always, there are the few who must make noise at the expense of others.... Keep up the good work, and be one of the few who still carry on the original American dream of a better life, and personal freedoms."

"Just ask yourself if you would by proud to show your eVEST to your grandchildren or children, when it is being models by a Playmate?" -Wayne

"I wanted to give all possible cheers for Rebecca being the 'official model' of the SCOTT eVEST. It is a great way to dispel the potential stigma of the eVEST being just for geeks and nerds. If Rebecca can look that good in it... :-)" -Rick P.

"Wonderful ad. Nice shots. Really fine. Makes us all proud to be SCOTT eVEST owners and Americans! Good job Rebecca! Hope to see 'more of you' in SCOTT eVEST ads in the future."

"There is NOTHING wrong with your model. She is an actual human being and as a resident of the US and an actual human being she can appear in photos just like everybody else."

"As for Rebecca's imagery, well, I wouldn't have bought a vest from you at all had I seen those ads beforehand. Yes, sex sells - but just to people with low morals or high gullibility. After all, a sexy model wearing a vest doesn't make it any better." -Dan O.

"Hi Rebecca; Thank you for allowing me to be photographed with you ... at Comdex last fall. I subsequently purchased my own SCOTT eVEST and I am entirely happy with the product.... Are you too sexy for the SCOTT eVEST? No way! Very attractive? Definitely! I think you are an excellent spokesperson for SCOTT eVEST. My female colleagues in the software industry had no objections to your attire in the photograph. In fact, they studied the photograph more than most of my guy friends.... Best wishes to you ..." - Bill M.

"Mr. Wendland, You must be extremely gay, or very repressed. I am shocked that either the Detroit Free Press, or SCOTT eVEST would bother to give your opinions the bandwidth needed to carry them." -Dennis I.

"As a woman, I am not particularly thrilled - nor repelled - by your choice of ads...however, I do have one question: Why, when wearing my SCOTTeVEST TM , I do not look like Rebecca?! No matter...I love this vest - thank you for a great product!" -Linda W.

"Rebecca Scott is all very well for male and lesbian techies, but when do we hetero female techies get a hot guy to look at in the Evest???"

"Concerning Mike Wendland, the Detroit Free Press' technology reporter: I have seen many beautiful women in car commercials. Is Mr. Wendland abandoning his automobile 'because of the exploitive advertising tactics used to promote' them?"

"By the way... great campaign with Rebecca Scott. Pity that over there in the US some people are becoming so 'over sensitive' ... More playmates!"

"Since there seems to be such an uproar over marketing techniques, why not vary it enough to fit a few more niche markets and not just play into the 'sexy side of marketing', etc. Try a few ads showing the harried week-end father handling the kids and all their 'stuff' as well as Dad's own stuff thanks to the eVEST 2.0 and then maybe switch into the lady exec who uses the E-Vest to keep all of her 'wares' safely stowed away as she travels to and from (vary the via by going from bicycle, to subway train, to tram, to limo, to SUV, etc) and how much freer her hands are and how much less she has to carry in her purse or tote bag, show the student (college or high school, or both; on bike, on foot, or by bus, or with a carload of other students, etc) going safely to and from classes and always having everything he needs right with him because he's able to utilize the E-Vest to the Max!"

"I can't say I care either way about what sort of tactics you feel the need to use to sell your product ... I will say that if you did sell products designed for women, a playboy model would *not* be effective in selling to me. Neither would a half-naked male model, for that matter, because neither one has anything to do with the product. I will use a product because it works, not because a model someone else considers attractive is photographed wearing it. I'm not so insecure that I need a celebrity endorsement to make me feel that it's okay or cool to buy/use a product."

"<< We have decided not to focus that much on Rebecca in future ads (mainly because she moved to Arizona) >> Oh, sure! Use her, then TOSS HER ASIDE like an old newspaper! Do you know how many times this has probably happened to a woman like her?! Just when she thinks she's finally found someone she can trust for the long term...when she's GIVEN ALL of herself! Have YOU ever tried to arch your back like that with a computer on your belly?! Well? HAVE YOU?!!! Maybe she moved to Arizona because she couldn't handle the rejection! I can see her now, aimlessly wandering in the desert in just her eVest alone with her twenty electronic gadgets...in her black cowboy boots...her sweat trickling, OH, NEVER MIND! The thing is...someone's GOT TO FIND HER! SOMEONE'S got to go to the desert and search for Rebecca! You know...to SAVE her! Lemme see, who should go, who should go...I'm still thinking...oh, what the hell...I'LL GO! Even if it kills me, I'm willing to try! I'M WILLING TO RISK EVERYTHING! Of course, um, I'll need an eVest (black, large)...I mean not only to carry everything, but, um, so Rebecca will know...that...that.... I'm a FRIENDLY! Yeah, THAT's IT...a FRIENDLY! Let me know when I should leave! I'm going out to buy water now....I'm doing it for HER, you know! I'm doing it for ALL OF US!" -Dave M.

"I think your promotions and advertising are perfect and do appeal to the market that you seek. Don't change what you are doing because 1% of the market disagrees!"

"I have only one comment about the provocative pictures - how come nothing for the ladies ??? Rebecca obviously pleases the gentlemen but I suggest David James Elliot or The Rock or Keith Hamilton Coob for the girls in the audience."

"More semi-naked ladies!" -Chuck B.

"More Rebecca is just fine."

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