Running a marketing campaign is not easy, and many times you have to take into account small variables that sometimes you didn’t even know about. For example, someone could spend a bucks on the slogan “Tallest towers fell” and post it on September 10, 2001. It didn’t happen, but it could have. Today we are going to review five announcements that were late, bad and unpleasant for everyonebut they have that charm of very bad ideas, the bitter aftertaste, sleepless nights in the office and sweat to carry out something that everyone knew (or should have known) was going to be a monumental failure.
5-Burger King
I personally applaud the idea of this campaign, especially since in Burger King already sensed that this was going to be an incredible hit or an epic miss. After all, in 2021 we all knew what was at stake by posting an incendiary tweet on Working Women’s Day. That’s how it went: the fast food company wrote “Women belong in the kitchen” as the initial tweet of a thread that intended to change gender inequality in the kitchen and ended up announcing a scholarship so they could make their culinary dreams come true.
The first tweet had 274,400 retweets. The second, where the campaign was explained, 13,100. The last one, where the scholarships were counted, 4,900. The result was avoidable and at the same time expected: a disaster for the press department.
4-PureGym
A chain of gyms in the United Kingdom decided, in 2020, to announce the exercises for that month (sprint one hundred meters, squats, burpees, etc.) under their own name. Of course, they couldn’t pick one of the ‘Get Fit’ or ‘Get Your Body Going’ style and they decided to release it as ’12 Years a Slave’. It was no coincidence: they intended to celebrate Black History Month. All wrong.
“Slavery is hard and this is too”they commented on a Facebook page that it is better that you do not search because it was totally eliminated while everyone wondered how it is possible that nobody, at any time, said “This is a terrible idea”.
3-reeboks
Germany, 2012. Reebok’s eye-catching campaigners are thinking of new slogans that are fun and, at the same time, eye-catching. Let them create some playful controversy. You would never believe which one they ended up dating: “Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your exercise routine”.
The ad was withdrawn in record time (once again: was there no one who said “Bad idea”?) and the company had to send a press release clarifying that it did not support infidelity. How strong the gaffe must have been to having to clean your brand of a concept that, a priori, neither fits nor fits.
2-PSP
During the 90s, video game ads were, seen now, an accumulation of macho, racist and transphobic ridiculousness, but they were a product of the time. By the time PSP came out, Sony knew that the rules of the game had changed and controversial ads did them more harm than good. And, really, I think that with this billboard they only wanted to announce that now the console was also going to be in white. But.
“White is Coming” with an image in which a white person seems to dominate a black person… It’s not the best idea, no matter how spectacular it sounded in his head. The controversy was served and Sony did not withdraw the ad, explaining that there was no evil in it. Man no. But.
1-Pepsi
You knew this announcement was coming. The biggest advertising disaster of the 21st century it starred Kendall Jenner leading a demonstration and buddying up protesters and police after opening a can of Pepsi. Not only was Twitter mad about the ad over and over again, but it was also understood that the drink was taking advantage of Black Lives Matter to sell more.
Quickly, the millionaire campaign was withdrawn, Pepsi apologized to Kendall Jenner (who, on the other hand, might as well not have agreed to make the announcement) and said that “I was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding.” Someone has never been to a real demonstration, Pepsi.
Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.
2023-07-24 22:19:11
#Infidelity #racism #slavery #worst #advertising #campaigns #history #Softonic
