Best of bad in the world of brands
By Nicola Clark
In the world of brands, no year is complete without mishaps. 2010 had its share of marketing bloopers.
BP brand feels spill
On 20 April 2010 an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 men and sent millions of gallons of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. To label the fiasco a "marketing mishap" doesn't do justice to the huge environmental and human cost of the disaster, but there is no doubt that the reputation of Britain's biggest company was irrevocably damaged. At the time of writing, more than 11,000 people continue to work on clean-up operations in the area. An official update in October revealed that 93 miles of shoreline were still suffering "moderate-to-heavy" oil pollution and 7% of the Gulf's fishing area remained shut. The saga is set to continue in 2011 when the outcomes of two federal investigations are due.
ITV missed a goal...
Goalkeeper Robert Green was not the only one to display a moment of incompetence during England's opening World Cup match this summer against the USA. As Steven Gerrard scored to give England the lead, 1.5 million of those watching the game on ITV were treated to the sight of an ad for Hyundai rather than the goal. England fans vented their wrath online, with some posters suggesting ITV should hand over the remainder of its allocated games for the tournament to the BBC. ITV issued an "unreserved" apology.
...while the England team missed a sponsor
If the England team was judged on how many times the players had scored with prostitutes, rather than a football, 2010 would have been a far better year for the squad. As it was, while some of the team made the headlines for spectacular performances away from home, those on the pitch were lacklu! stre to say the least. This presented something of a headache for The Football Association in its search for a new sponsor, after Nationwide axed its tie to the team. At the time of writing, a replacement sponsor has yet to be secured.
Gap: Fashion Faux Pas
Critics said it hurt their eyes and the web was awash with scornful comments when Gap unveiled a change to its corporate identity. The US clothes retailer, subscribing to the idea that any buzz is good buzz, initially responded that it was "thrilled to see passioante debates unfolding". Then the company opened up the debate further by letting anyone compete to design another new logo. However, users posted on Gap's Facebook page urging people not to participate, on the grounds that the company was simply trying to get free designs.
Nestle: He Needs a Break Too
Nestle faced up to a PR disaster after it exerted legal pressure on YouTube to remove a Greenpeace ad on the site. The ad referred to the Nestle's Kit Kat brand's use of palm oil and the effect its production had on the environment, with the strapline "Have a break? Give the orangutan a break". Greenpeace quickly re-posted the ad on Vimeo.com, sending out word on Twitter about Nestle's heavy-handed tactics. Ultimately, pulling the video brought greater attention to Greenpeace's drive to protect the habitat of orangutans. Its response resulted in Nestl agreeing to drop Indonesian palm-oil producer Sinar Mas Group as a supplier because of its "continued expansion into rain forests" and "critical orangutan habitat".
In the world of brands, no year is complete without mishaps. 2010 had its share of marketing bloopers.
BP brand feels spill
On 20 April 2010 an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 men and sent millions of gallons of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. To label the fiasco a "marketing mishap" doesn't do justice to the huge environmental and human cost of the disaster, but there is no doubt that the reputation of Britain's biggest company was irrevocably damaged. At the time of writing, more than 11,000 people continue to work on clean-up operations in the area. An official update in October revealed that 93 miles of shoreline were still suffering "moderate-to-heavy" oil pollution and 7% of the Gulf's fishing area remained shut. The saga is set to continue in 2011 when the outcomes of two federal investigations are due.
ITV missed a goal...
Goalkeeper Robert Green was not the only one to display a moment of incompetence during England's opening World Cup match this summer against the USA. As Steven Gerrard scored to give England the lead, 1.5 million of those watching the game on ITV were treated to the sight of an ad for Hyundai rather than the goal. England fans vented their wrath online, with some posters suggesting ITV should hand over the remainder of its allocated games for the tournament to the BBC. ITV issued an "unreserved" apology.
...while the England team missed a sponsor
If the England team was judged on how many times the players had scored with prostitutes, rather than a football, 2010 would have been a far better year for the squad. As it was, while some of the team made the headlines for spectacular performances away from home, those on the pitch were lacklu! stre to say the least. This presented something of a headache for The Football Association in its search for a new sponsor, after Nationwide axed its tie to the team. At the time of writing, a replacement sponsor has yet to be secured.
Gap: Fashion Faux Pas
Critics said it hurt their eyes and the web was awash with scornful comments when Gap unveiled a change to its corporate identity. The US clothes retailer, subscribing to the idea that any buzz is good buzz, initially responded that it was "thrilled to see passioante debates unfolding". Then the company opened up the debate further by letting anyone compete to design another new logo. However, users posted on Gap's Facebook page urging people not to participate, on the grounds that the company was simply trying to get free designs.
Nestle: He Needs a Break Too
Nestle faced up to a PR disaster after it exerted legal pressure on YouTube to remove a Greenpeace ad on the site. The ad referred to the Nestle's Kit Kat brand's use of palm oil and the effect its production had on the environment, with the strapline "Have a break? Give the orangutan a break". Greenpeace quickly re-posted the ad on Vimeo.com, sending out word on Twitter about Nestle's heavy-handed tactics. Ultimately, pulling the video brought greater attention to Greenpeace's drive to protect the habitat of orangutans. Its response resulted in Nestl agreeing to drop Indonesian palm-oil producer Sinar Mas Group as a supplier because of its "continued expansion into rain forests" and "critical orangutan habitat".
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