Sometimes, a little spicy controversy can go a long way, both for good and bad. YouTuber ThisisJohnWilliams wanted to advertise that he is willing to purchase and invest in houses of any type in Ohio, including those that may be considered undesirable. Instead of wanting to keep things normal, he took his campaign up a notch and put up quite the controversial billboard, saying, “I buy crack houses.” According to Williams, it was a means to draw attention to abandoned and poorly maintained homes and residences. However, not everyone took his spicy ads lightly.
“We fix up these homes and they’re affordable housing,” Williams told 19 News. But several people in the billboard’s area felt “it’s in poor taste.” One commented with utter disdain: “I’m sick of seeing these billboards around town. He can claim he wants to make affordable housing all he wants, but he’s still just a slumlord.” Even the Cleveland City Council President came out and spoke against the influencer’s attempt at being witty about the situation of homes within the district:
“Whenever you talk about, ‘Your house is trash, we pay cash,’ and whenever you talk about, ‘We buy crack houses,’ and you come into a predominantly poor, African American community — you’re sending a clear message. You’re being condescending, you’re being demeaning, and you’re being disrespectful.”
Without a doubt, it’s understandable that anyone living in the area would feel offended that their neighborhood has “crack houses.” On the other hand, his mission to acquire and rebuild homes into affordable residences of living is admirable, at the very least. People could also agree that spreading awareness that the part of the city needs reform is also a good thing. As for the opinions of denizens on the internet, online users found his ad campaign hilarious and very clever. “That dude is a marketing genius,” remarked one Facebook commenter. “His ROI on this advertisement is genius,” agreed another. Whether the press he’s getting is negative or positive, the fact that he’s getting all this publicity is a huge win.
The man himself even left a comment in the 19 News YouTube video covering his story:
“We need to clean up these homes – if they don’t want me to do it because they find my wording offensive, the city should step up and take action and restore them.”
Calling out the city’s lack of responsibility on the topic is certainly a bold move. Let’s hope Williams is also willing to practice what he preaches and make a difference himself after calling others out.
