The Lowe’s Press Release that Should Have Been

*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***

Date: December 5, 2011

To: Our Valued Customers

From: R’Tod, Public Outreach Director, Lowe’s Home Improvement

Re:  Lowe’s Home Improvement and the “All-American Muslim” boycott

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To Our Valued Customers:

As some of you may have heard, Lowe’s Home Improvement has recently come under fire from the Florida Family Association (FFA) for advertising on cable TV’s TLC – The Learning Channel.

Specifically, they have asked us to terminate all adverting until that network removes the television reality show, All-American Muslim. It is the FFA’s concern that this show portrays an American Muslim family in a positive light, as they go about their lives as home-owners struggling to realize the American Dream held dear by so many of us. The FFA has asked that we spend our advertising dollars only on television shows that portray American Muslims as enemies of our country. They have called for a boycott of Lowe’s Home Improvement stores until we have agreed to their demands.

Though we feel the FFA represents a very small minority of our costumers, we believe this boycott is one worth addressing.

Lowe’s Home Improvement stands for quality, and looks to actively support with our advertising dollars those television shows that provide quality entertainment, education, or both. We feel the TLC’s All-American Muslim fits strongly into this category.

The show, which features a Dearborn, Michigan family struggling to maintain their home and family in tough economic times, is an all-too common story these days. And it is a struggle that Lowe’s Home Improvement takes to heart every day.

Lowe’s Home Improvement has stood for helping families affordably build, maintain and perfect their homes for over 90 years. Our founder, Lucious Lowe, believed that a quality home should be available to all families – regardless of race, color or creed.  Today we continue to celebrate his vision. This is why Lowe’s Home Improvement strives to provide all families – including Muslim-American families – with exclusive quality brands such as Olympic, Allen & Roth, and Koblat at a price that working American families value.

The TLC’s All-American Muslim portrays an American family, honestly working hard to make ends meet. They are, in fact, the type of family Lucious Lowe would have been proud to help build their American Dream.

While we respectfully recognize the FFA’s right to ask us to move our advertising dollars, we at Lowe’s Home Improvement have decided to continue supporting All-American Muslim, the TLC, and American families everywhere looking to build a better life.

And as always, we thank our customers for helping make Lowe’s Home Improvement America’s fastest growing builders of the American Dream!