Is Any Publicity Better Than No Publicity?

It seems like February might just be the month for marketing that end up casting their brands in a bad light.

First we saw Groupon jump into the deep end of the pool with their widely condemned Super Bowl ads that put them in the spot of mocking not only rainforest conservation and endangered species but also the oppressed people of Tibet. While Groupon and their agency did not intend to offend, they certainly did with most viewers failing to find the humor in the commercials (or the actual, underlying support for the charitable causes being featured).

Then we ran across a report on a highly questionable billboard promotion by Hacienda, the Mexican restaurant chain, which capitalizes on the 1978 mass suicide in Jonestown by proudly proclaiming “We’re Like A Cult But With Better Kool-Aid.” And boasting that their drink is “To Die For!” This billboard has already been pulled but the motivation behind it was based on a desire to build a ‘cult following’ for their brand. Hopefully, they will go with a less literal interpretation of that phrase next time.

And now, we see Kraft’s Miracle Whip take a bold step by launching a campaign that uses testimonials of people who love… and hate… their product. Apparently, they know “We’re Not For Everyone” and want to get people talking about the brand no matter what they have to say. Big risk or shrewd move? Well, we’re talking about it so it seems to be working (and it looks kind of fun!).