Deconstructing with Della: Communicating through bad ads
April 10, 2017
Unless you have been on an unplugged retreat, you will have seen the controversy around the ads for Pepsi "Live for Now Moments Anthem" and Nivea "White is Purity" last week. Both were deemed highly insensitive and caused an uproar on social media, followed by extensive mainstream media coverage.
Aside from the obvious communication question around how these types of ads get to see the light of day, I am fascinated by the speed of how quickly the companies pull their campaigns and what they say about it.
Having worked in an ad agency for a big chunk of my career, I know how difficult it can be to deal with the egos of creative people who think their campaign is just edgy, not totally insensitive and inappropriate. I remember one print ad showing the feet of someone on a window ledge promoting a support group for the advertising business. I recall raising concerns around that one. Obviously, the people creating the ad had never lost someone to suicide. But, I also recall the edgy ads that were controversial (but nowhere near the level of Pepsi or Nivea) where we knew there would be backlash. In those days it would take weeks for people to complain and even longer for the story to hit the news. By the time, it became an issue, we could say we would take it down but the media buy would be complete anyway and the ad would have created more buzz. Mission accomplished.
Today, campaigns get pulled in days, if not hours. If you don't have any critical voices who stop the ad before it airs, the public will tell you via social channels.
Check out the numbers from this Adage article on this subject within 24 hours of the launch:
......Through 5 a.m. ET today, 77% of digital content engagement around the phrase "tone-deaf" mentioned both Kendall Jenner and Pepsi, according to marketing technology company Amobee, which monitors digital content.
Tracking of issues is so much more immediate and sophisticated now. Corporate tweets promoting the Pepsi campaign disappear fast and the ad is taken off the web site before you can blink. To deconstruct - at first Pepsi stood by its ad, classic fight (we are right, you are wrong) response. Then, they go from freeze mode (execs immobilized by being wrong) and move to flight, (yikes, let's get out of this mess) getting everything pulled and moving on.
During that time an apology is written and issued: (I can only imagine the number of revisions for this short little paragraph!)
PURCHASE, N.Y., April 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position."
Since it was an internal freelance creative team, there is no ad agency to fire. A few heads might roll internally. You can bet they will monitor sales and if this ad makes it uncool to drink Pepsi, there will be mega bucks spent on a rebuild program.
The Nivea ad ran for two days on its Middle Eastern Facebook page before the company pulled it. They did the classic non-apology apology... the "sorry if we offended anybody" statement and then defensively talked about their values. Interesting this is not their first foray into questionable culturally inappropriate ads.
Hard to believe this stuff gets by the sniff test but speaking up about any kind or corporate inappropriate behaviour, be it ads or other decisions takes a lot of guts and can be career limiting.
Being a lone voice to raise a concern or question an action can be hard and difficult to validate if there is no big hue and cry. On the flip side, you can be rewarded later for sounding the alarm. Trust your instincts. If it feels wrong, it probably is.
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