Who'll Jump For a Golden Gate Sponsorship

David Kiley

I hate to sound crass. But as I read in Adage.com, the directors of the Golden Gate Bridge are looking for corporate sponsors to close its $87 million deficit, I can only imagine the meetings at the ad agencies about that one.

Sure the Bridge is an amazing national landmark. But it's also, according to a new documentary out, the site of one suicide attempt/contemplation per day. Two dozen people tragically went all the way last year. Dozens more were talked out of it. Others, I guess, look like they are going to, as they were caught on film, and decided against it on their own. Officials say they aren't talking about naming rights for the Bridge (The Golden Nugget Gate Bridge?)But they are looking for sponsors.

A life insurance company? Prozac? I can say that because I was once treated with an anti-depressant (uh oh...guess I can't run for public office now). I take the subject very seriously. But I can't help thinking what the potential sponsor will say when, two dozen or so times a year, the news story about their sponsored property is the lead in a suicide story. It will be like that every year. It is the most jumped off bridge in the world by many estimates.