Take a look at this advertisement. What is the first thing that comes to mind?
Shock?
Anger? Hatred? Fear? Would you think it was for Homeland Security? The
9/11 Memorial? In actuality, this advertisement was pitched for the
World Wildlife Fund.
Just over a week before the eighth anniversary of September 11th, this controversial advertisement was pitched to the Brazilian branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The ad features dozens of airplanes in mid-air, flying directly into
Lower Manhattan with an accompanying tag line reading "The Tsunami
Killed 100 Times More People Than 9/11." Underneath the comparison of
9/11 to the Tsunami, the WWF's signature logo of the panda is displayed
next to the copy of the ad: "The planet is brutally powerful. Respect
it. Preserve it.” The Brazilian design firm DDB Brasil designed the advertisement and, according to the WWF, they never approved the ad. The advertisement was accidentally leaked to the public without the approval of the WWF and was soon plastered all over the Internet. A press release from the WWF states:
"The
concept was summarily rejected by W.W.F. and should never have seen the
light of day. It is an unauthorized use of our logo and we are
aggressively pursuing action to have it removed from Web sites where it
is being currently featured."
If the WWF
wanted publicity, they sure got it. Creating a compelling and
provocative advertisement is good way to get attention, but in this
case, it is the wrong kind of attention. Although this ad was released
accidentally, the past cannot be changed and theWWF has been labeled.
Bad publicity sticks with a company for a long time, and is forever on
the Internet. To avoid negative publicity and become a headline story
like theWWF, follow these Do's and Don'ts of Advertising.
Advertisement DO's
- Learn from Other Campaigns Each
advertising campaign is unique, but lessons can be learned from every
single one. Take a look at successful advertising campaigns and
recognize what worked and why. Do the same for the campaigns that did
not do so hot. The successful campaigns will have something in common,
maybe a catchy line or a creative ad. For the campaigns that failed,
their thing in common will be their mistake that caused their downfall,
such as an offensive image or slogan. Although it is important to learn
from other campaigns, it is just as important not to copy them. More on
this later.
- Try for the Attention Getter Americans are
exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of advertisements per day.
Without an advertisement that grabs people's attention, nobody will
notice your ad. Be creative. Stand out from the rest and do something
outrageous. But, use your head. The WWF ad is a great example of trying for an attention getter, but failing miserably.
- Plan Ahead No
advertising campaign will be successful without sufficient planning. A
budget needs to be in place to know how much you are willing to spend
on the campaign and any repercussions it may have. In the case of the WWF
, the bad publicity is costing them money to defend themselves as their
rejected ad has spurred conflict and outrage across America. Not only
will they have to deal with the media, but with theirWWF members and supporters as well.
- Check, Re-Check, and Check Again Before
putting your ad out to the public, be 100% positive that you want your
company to be represented by this advertisement. Some provocative
campaigns are risky, so be ready for any reactions the public might
have. Once you have released your advertisement, be sure to stand
beside it proudly and support it fully. Although the WWF rejected the
controversial ad, it still made its way onto the Internet. The lesson
to be learned here is to be sure that every rejected ad (especially
those that are sure to stir up drama) should be destroyed. One way to
keep tabs on what the public is saying about your brand is to have
community monitors. Acting as your company's "brand police," community
monitors watch the Internet, especially social media sites, for any
comments about your business's brand.
Advertisement DON'TS
- Copycat The
advertising campaigns that struck gold did for a reason. They were new,
creative, and sparked the interest of the public. Chances are, copying
a previous campaign will not be as successful the second time around,
and the public will recognize the duplicate scheme.
- Forget to do Your Research When
working with an outside company for advertising, it is essential to
research their previous campaigns to get a sense of their design. Find
out if they had one bad campaign, and figure out why it failed. Even in
campaign production and concept design, it's important to consider your
sources. Without conducting thorough research, you could end up in a
situation similar to the WWF.
- Make False Claims The
most important part of any advertising campaign, or any advertisement,
is to be honest. Making claims that are false is not only illegal, but
will spur negative publicity and leave your business with a negative
reputation.
- Lose Brand Focus Remember why you are
advertising, it is for a reason. It is important to have the idea and
importance of your business as your focus the entire time. This was a
major problem for the WWF ad. The WWF regularly promotes its Fund
through animals, wildlife, and nature. The public has linked the two
together, and it has become the image and reputation that America is
familiar with. Adding the traumatic historic event of September 11 into
their advertisement has put a negative label on their brand making it a
controversial ad.
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