Another British brand tries trolling non-customers as a marketing strategy

The Sun

Remember the controversy over Protein World's "Beach Body Ready" ads last year? The ads sparked a firestorm of Twitter protest, inspired vandalism and parody ads, and was eventually banned by the ASA.

The campaign, which Adland's Dabitch described as "trolling as a social media strategy," resulted in huge amounts of earned media and — according to Marketing — £1million in direct sales revenue.

I've never been a fan of the cliché, "there's no such thing as bad publicity," but for brands that are seeking to grow a narrow-but-oppositional target market, it can work.

The Sun

Enter Gourmet Burger Kitchen, a UK chain that decided to dust off an old chestnut for meat vendors: Making fun of vegetarians.

The Sun

The reaction was as big as it was predictable:

@KirstenHenry these are more appropriate ads....mocking people that care about animals ✊🏼💦 #gourmetmurderkitchen pic.twitter.com/LcNnFOSTtf

— paul warmington (@paulwarmo) January 18, 2016

The advertiser has since made a tepid apology on Facebook, and has promised to take down "some of" the ads. But a follow up survey, published in The Drum, showed that the campaign was likely to increase sales slightly.

Which makes me wonder, are angry social media protests over campaigns like these just playing into the hands of the most cynical marketers? Do activists risk becoming one more channel for earned media?

I'd love to hear some opinions about what's happening, and what could go differently.

@ProteinWorld vs. "sympathisers for fatties"

The Drum

Oh, dear. A fitness supplement brand in the UK has taken it upon itself to become the patron saint of body shaming.

The Drum reports that, faced with online criticism over its "are you beach body ready?" ad campaign, Protein World decided not only to be unapologetic, but downright nasty:

Twitter

That particular exchange was started by blogger Laurence Hebbard, who wrote about their confrontational social media engagement on Social Media London. Here are some of the curated exchanges:

Someone even made a fake Dove response ad:

As of this writing, the protein shake maker is completely unapologetic. They seem quite happy to bask in the negative publicity (as well as the many Tweets of support from fans).

Is this an example of the tired cliché "there's no such thing as bad publicity"? That remains to be seen. While this kind of obnoxious brand behaviour is bound to ingratiate it to a certain segment of the fitness market, they're also trying to sell weight loss products. Is it really such a great idea to shame people who might actually be interested in such things?

Adopting "being an asshole" as a brand strategy is a risky move, but not an unprecedented one. Now it's just a matter of seeing how many assholes are willing to self-identify by buying the stuff.

British MP slammed for patronizing "bread and circuses" ad

… Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.

- Juvenal 

 Seems some things never change.

#budget2014 cuts bingo & beer tax helping hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy. RT to spread the word pic.twitter.com/5vbL7RDAg5
— Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) March 19, 2014

According to The Drum:

Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps has insisted he loves bingo and drinks beer after he faced a storm of criticism over a poster he tweeted following the UK budget this week. 

Chancellor George Osborne gave the bingo industry a tax cut and took a penny off beer duty in the budget, prompting Shapps to tweet a poster reading ‘Bingo! Cutting the bingo tax and been duty – to help hard working people do more of the things they enjoy’. 

Shapps encouraged followers to retweet him and spread the word – which they did, kicking off a storm in which users accused him of being condescending. He also faced criticism for using the term ‘they’.

Mr. Shapps has since defended his message, insisting, “personally, I drink beer and I love a game of bingo." The Guardian's Owen Jones called it "so patronising it looks like a crude attempt at satire."

Here are some of the better reactions on Twitter:

@double_dex I've never been more convinced something real was fake. Maybe it's some sort of genius we haven't worked out?
— daysofspeed (@daysofspeed) March 19, 2014

@grantshapps hey @David_Cameron have you read this? Do you have anybody who isn't a liability?
— John (@biod49) March 19, 2014

@JeanHaines @grantshapps Sorry I was distracted for a moment thought I'd got "house" - hadn't :( back to me beer!
— John (@biod49) March 19, 2014

@grantshapps Gawd bless yer, guv'nor. You're a toff. Doffs cap. Dies of plague. #ToryBingo #GinPalaces
— Tony McK (@oakroyd) March 19, 2014

Sweet Jaysus, @grantshapps, why not just stick a picture up of a bloke with a flat cap, whippets and a fucking football ticket.
— Chris Nicholson (@EraseThisTweet) March 19, 2014

Putin-branded beer is "#NotForGays"

brewdog.com

In an amusing contribution to discussions about Russia's legalized homophobia and the Sochi Winter Olympics, a Scottish craft brewery has launched a beer that takes pot shots at the Russian President.

From their blog:

Hello, my name is Vladimir. I am a beer for uber hetero men who ride horses while topless and carrying knives. I am a beer to mark the 2014 Winter Olympics. But I am not for gays. Love wrestling burly men on the Judo mat or fishing in your Speedos? Then this is the beer for you!

brewdog.com

Complete with faux-Warhol portraits of Vladimir Putin, the campaign for the limited edition beer has taken to Twitter with the spoof hashtag #notforgays

@brewdog 10/10.
— Master of Malt (@MasterOfMalt) February 4, 2014

All report of subversion in bar are lie from homosexual media. Morale strong like President's bare torso. #NotForGays pic.twitter.com/fRb1E6KQC3
— BrewDog Camden (@BrewDogCamden) February 4, 2014

The Russian Consulate didn't want the beer I brought them so I just left it on their doorstep #NotForGays @brewdog pic.twitter.com/aDAjFk3iA2
— Calvin McDonald (@CalvinMcD) February 4, 2014

On a serious note, the brewery writes:

The sick, twisted legislation brought about in Russia that prevents people from living their true lives is something we didn't want to just sit back and not have an opinion on. Our core beliefs are freedom of expression, freedom of speech and a dogged (no pun intended) passion for doing what we love. Thus, we are donating 50% of the profits from this beer to charitable organisations that support like minded individuals wishing to express themselves freely without prejudice.

H/T The Drum

Reimagining #Sochi sponsor ads with pride

Scottish ad industry blog The Drum is partnering with Chip Shop Awards and One Minute Briefs to challenge creatives to "show how Winter Olympics sponsors could promote the LGBT message in Russia."

One Minute Briefs is featuring hundreds of entries on Twitter. Some are mere sketches, and others are rife with gay stereotypes and crude sexual imagery. The ones I'm featuring here are among my favourites out of the 50 shortlisted by The Drum.

You can vote for your picks, today, right here.

Related posts:

Google goes gay for #Sochi
After Barilla, pro-gay pasta parody ads are cropping up all over the place

Online threats replaced with rainbows and kisses

According to The Drum, this is the work of an ‘anti-trolling browser extension’ developed by V-Hab, a clever campaign site to promote New Zealand's V Energy Drink.



Apparently, some One Direction fans took umbrage to British GQ's pairing of a Harry Styles cover with the cutline "He's up all night to get lucky" and reacted the way only juvenile fanatics seem to be able to anymore: with threats of violence and sexual assault:

A V-Hab spokesperson told the Drum:

“We love British GQ, but boy did those poor souls not know what they were getting themselves into! “Luckily for them, at V-Hab we’re all about countering trolls with a bit of positive energy so we’ve created humour and positivity into what has clearly been a rather large misunderstanding on all sides.

Coincidentally, Jezebel's Lindy West wrote a lengthy rant yesterday about how she felt "don't feed the trolls" was bad advice, especially for women:

I feed trolls. Not always, not every troll, but when I feel like it—when I think it will make me feel better—I talk back. I talk back because the expectation is that when you tell a woman to shut up, she should shut up. I reject that. I talk back because it's fun, sometimes, to rip an abusive dummy to shreds with my friends. I talk back because my mental health is my priority—not some troll's personal satisfaction. I talk back because it emboldens other women to talk back online and in real life, and I talk back because women have told me that my responses give them a script for dealing with monsters in their own lives. 

V-Hab's mockery is not the same as the fight that Ms. West is advocating, but it still feels good to watch aggression mocked so sweetly.

Benadryl interactive gets trolled, brand reacts like a boss

Benadryl in the UK recently launched an interesting interactive tool that invited users to report "pollen hotspots", allowing their site to crowdsource reports of heightened allergic sensitivity. Which was a great idea, until someone who the Drum describes as having "a little too much time on their hands" got crude with it:

As juvenile as that is, I was really pleased to find out that today, while locking up the interactive (presumably for some retooling) they acknowledged the act of vandalism with excellent British aplomb:

Excellent work!

Scottish soft drink parodies two competitors at once with "Fanny" cans

Via The Drum

Scottish soft drink brand Irn-Bru is known for its cheeky ads. So when a UK competitor launched a drink called "Pussy," I imagine they took it as a challenge.

With "Fanny" cans, Irn-Bru is also taking a shot at a European Coca-Cola campaign that puts popular first names on cans. (For those unaware, "Fanny" is UK slang for female genitals.)

Via NPR

Yeah, it's all a joke. There are no immediate plans to roll out the Fanny cans in retail. But it's a good bit of lighthearted meta-marketing online.

It's not even the first time Irn-Bru has made a Fanny gag. This spot is from last year:

UNICEF Sweden ad skewers social media slacktivism

The Drum shared this find on their Facebook page. It also showed up on Ads of The World. 

No provenance given. (And no sign of it on UNICEF Sweden's actual Facebook page.) But an interesting message regardless of origin.

UPDATE: Reuben Turner has posted the campaign on Osocio, including video:

So I guess it's more than a meme.

Vanessa Paradis explores the domestic jungle for H&M

I like this new ad for H&M's "Conscious Collection" of more sustainable clothing.



Just because you have signed on Vanessa Paradis to be the face of your collection doesn't mean you have to focus on her sex appeal. Instead, this ad is a beautiful piece of eye candy for corporate social responsibility. The parallax-effect scrolling web site is also quite lush.

H/T The Drum

Can you drink your way out of Scottish nationalism?

This spot for Scotland's Irn Bru was named "Ad of The Day" by Scottish ad blog The Drum. Created by The Leith Agency in Edinburgh, it features a proud Scot trying to get through meeting his daughter's obnoxious English boyfriend.



I had assumed that this was an ad for beer. It's not. Irn Bru is actually a soft drink. With the day Dad's having, facing his worst ethnocentric fears, I might have recommended something a wee bit stronger...

"Get your hole" at Krispy Kreme, Scotland?

Please, somebody from Scotland explain to me how this is not as awkward as I think it is.

As far as Google can tell me, "get your hole" is exactly as dirty as it sounds, at least in Scotland and Ireland. 

Previously in donuts as sex objects: Awkward Toronto Branding: Glory Hole Doughnuts

Via The Drum (Facebook)

Umbro takes a very English shot at Nike

Via The Drum

Classic British sportswear brand Umbro has been supplying the official "kit" to England's football (soccer) teams since the 1950s. That's a big deal to the fans, according to The Daily Mail:

When Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers contested the Matthews Final in 1953, they did so wearing Umbro. When a 17-year-old Pele entered the world stage at the World Cup in 1958, he did so in Umbro tailoring.  

When Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet trophy for England in 1966, he wore a red Umbro shirt, and when Celtic and Manchester United pioneered European club success for Britain in the sixties, they were head to toe in Umbro.  

When Banks made that improbable save in 1970, when Gazza wept, when Butcher bled, when Southgate failed and when Beckham kicked out – it was all in Umbro attire. 

But no more. Nike acquired Umbro in 2008, then sold it off to Iconix last year. But guess who got to keep the uniform contract? Tonight is the last time the team will wear Umbro.

As a parting shot, and to commemorate their history with British Football, Umbro unveiled this ad today with a snide abuse of Nike's brand essence.

The Drum quotes a branded press release:

 It's been an honour to be associated with the national team for such a long period of time, and we wanted to take this occasion to celebrate some of the classic kits we've created for England. 

Umbro’s founder Harold Humphreys once said: ‘There are three things which constitute the ability to succeed - enthusiasm, tenacity and sheer damned cheek - but all in good measure. 

We think that we've stuck by these principles over the past 89 years, and we will continue to do so as we look forward to a bright future.

Benetton goes back to advertising actual clothes

Via The Drum

Yeah, that's right. After years of pushing the boundaries of shock advertising, culminating with 2011's extremely popular/controversial Unhate campaign, Benetton suddenly remembered what it is that they sell: Not just attitude, but the means to express it.

From the Press Release:

The future of United Colors of Benetton is ever more colourful. Newly interpreted, color returns to the forefront in an iconic Spring/Summer 2013 fashion campaign which uses the original stories of a cosmopolitan team of ambassadors to illustrate United Colors of Benetton's passion, innovation and openness to the world, looking to the future and embracing the challenges of tomorrow.  

This campaign breaks new ground for the Benetton Group brand. Starting this season and using an ever changing set of ambassadors, it rolls out a totally new format based – in the words of Chairman Alessandro Benetton – on “the iconic value of color – a founding value for United Colors of Benetton and once again at the centre of our aesthetics and communications – to give a powerful assertion of the identity and excellence of this brand, which holds diversity as a value, and the unity of differences as a wealth to be treasured.” 

The 2013 campaign features Sudanese humanitarian activist Alek Wek (above), Tunisian model Hanaa Ben Abdesslem, British actress/model/granddaughter-of-Charlie-Chaplin Kiera Chaplin, Californian mode Charlotte Free, British actor and model Dudley O’Shaughnessy, differently-abled German model Mario Galla, Uruguayan chef Matias Perdomo, trans-sexual Brazilian model Lea T, , and American model Elettra Wiedemann.

Charlotte Free, via Vogue Italia

Dudley O’Shaughnessy, via Vogue Italia

Hanaa Ben Abdesslem, via Vogue Italia

Kiera Chaplin, via Vogue Italia

Lea T, via Vogue Italia

Mario Galla, Via Vogue Italia

Elettra Wiedemann, via Vogue Italia

Matias Perdomo, via Vogue Italia

Not exactly all the "colours" of the world represented here (and nobody is fat or old) but Benetton claims they chose their models more based on who they are than where they came from. It's a good approach, going back-to-basics, while still clearly positioning Benetton as a brand for global diversity and individual expression. It may not win them a lot of hardware at Cannes, but by showing the product maybe... just maybe...  they'll actually sell more of it.

The campaign was developed under the creative direction of Fabrica (in-house) in cooperation with Macs Iotti.

Caffeinated Aspirin — for prison rape?

The assumption that, in prison, men force other men into sex is a common one. One person I know who has actually done (light) time told me that it's something nobody dares joke about behind bars. In the world of popular culture, however, it's one rape joke that seems to persist in "polite" circles.

It's subtly implied, in this ad from Brazil's Almap BBDO, part of a campaign for Cafiaspirina, Bayer's caffeinated headache pill marketed in Latin America. But even without the underlying violent implication the homophobia still makes my head hurt.

See the whole campaign at The Drum.

Snickers ads feed off American political cynicism

What do you get when you ask a bunch of cynical advertising people to cynically advertise junk food during an extremely cynical American election? This.

The "Don't vote hungry" campaign, by BBDO New York, is an extension of the "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign, but while the mothership is slapstick, this one is almost too close to reality for a laugh. Art direction's nice, though.

According to The Drum, Snickers is giving out chocolate bars in key swing state Iowa, along with bumper stickers.

Debenhams dumps coffee obfuscation

Via The Guardian

I'm a bit of a coffee snob, but that's about origin, and whether it's organic, shade-grown and Fairtrade. Instead, most "gourmet" coffee chains prefer to make consumers think they're getting a better cup by using Italian and fake-Italian terms on the menu.

Debenhams department store in the UK has had enough of that nonsense. After a customer survey told them that 70% found the coffee menu confusing, they dropped the continental pretentions and chose to promote a plain English version:

Via The Drum

While I have nothing against loanwords, I hate it when they're just marketing jargon. Now, let's focus on the quality of the beans, shall we?

Now Donald Trump is trolling Scotland as well

The Drum reports that Donald Trump, creator of the American election "October surprise" that ended up making a fool of him, likes to spread his special brand of idiocy to other countries as well.

The Donald (man, I miss Spy Magazine!) posted the above picture on his Facebook page with the caption, "I guess they don’t have freedom of the press in Scotland. We created this ad and the ASA would not allow us to publish it. I don’t know what is wrong with it, it seems factually accurate to me."

Alex Salmond is the First Minister of Scotland. His government has committed Scotland to legislation on emission reduction and the generation of renewable energy. And his government did release convicted terrorist Abdelbaset ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, "based on the rules and regulations of Scots Law and the reports of the Parole Board for Scotland, the Prison Governor, and the Scottish Prison Service Director of Health and Care Dr Andrew Fraser" to Libya on compassionate grounds when he was dying of prostate cancer.

But for someone so concerned about "truth", Mr. Trump is pretty fast and loose with his own facts.

...a spokesperson from the ASA [the British Advertising Standards Authority] told The Drum: “I can confirm that the ASA has not banned the ad that Donald Trump refers to. 

“We don’t ban ads from appearing. We respond to concerns about ads once they’re in the public domain. 

“The advertiser may have sought pre-publication advice on the likelihood of the ad being acceptable under the Advertising Code. This Copy Advice service is provided, for free and in confidence, by our sister organisation, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP). 

We can’t comment on whether advice was sought or given as the service is confidential.
“However, I should stress that Copy Advice is exactly that, advice. It is non-binding and Copy Advice does not ‘ban’ ads either.”

In other words, the ad was submitted to an advisory panel that tells advertisers whether or not the ASA is likely to cause members of the public to complain to the ASA, which would then consider the complaint against British advertising standards, and act accordingly. 

They do kind of "ban" ads, through ad industry self-regulation. They make some pretty ridiculous judgements, but they are no more of a threat to "free speech" than other industries' self-regulating bodies in the United States, such as the Motion Picture Association of America or the now-defunct Comics Code Authority.

As my colleague Kerry pointed out, Donald Trump is developing a golf course in Scotland, and the proposed turbines are "spoiling his view".

Let's just hope that the UK's Committee of Advertising Practice also told Mr. Trump, in confidence, to fire his Art Director.

Possibly the best maxi pad campaign ever

It started with a Facebook post:

It was probably a plant (although Richard's profile is pretty established) but who cares? Truly funny sarcasm trolling has become a popular sport online, and posts like this do occasionally show up.

In this case, I don't really care about the authenticity of the setup. It's Bodyform's response that rules:

It's funny, it's truthful, and it even squeezes in (or rather, "out") a fart joke.

Oh yeah, and she drinks the "blue water":

Sure, it makes men look kind of dumb in a tropey kind of way. (And they missed a golden chance to make those guys actually look like they were from the '80s.) But of all the efforts that have been made to break out of the advertising clichés around feminine hygiene, this is by far my favourite.

 Gotta love the Brits!

Tip via The Drum