Everyone secretly loves controversy. Controversy talks and the audience listen and remember.
Marketing campaigns are produced in the hope of improving brand awareness. Successful marketing is achieved through emotion. With controversy comes emotion.
A recent blog on econsultancy led me to follow up with a blog, exploring marketing campaigns that have strayed beyond the rule book, but gained significant exposure in the process.
1 – ‘Discover weapons of mass destruction’
Receiving almost 200 complaints isn’t your ideal promotional response, unless you’re Easyjet! Back in 2003, the airline escaped censure from the advertising watchdog for a rather abrupt advert shown here.
Easyjet defended the approach saying it was light-hearted humour and relevant to time. Complainants argued that it demonstrated the demeaning of women and trivialising the war in Iraq.
Within a period of promoting ‘wonderbras’, Easyjet used a commonly known topic to promote the idea of holiday incentives with a pinch of comedy.
With humour comes emotion, with controversy comes publicity. Success for Easyjet!
2 – ‘Get it on!’
Sex is one of the most controversial topics to market. Some would say you should play it safe to protect yourself. So when Durex produced a viral showing three balloon dogs having a squeaky orgy, they knew that by extending the boundaries they were opening up to criticism.
Once again this is another play on humour but also raises the issue of safer sex. Causing uproar among sex educators and the general Conservative Right Wing, the viral has received millions of views online.
Virals are about spreading the word. What does this clip want you to do? Exactly. Job done – well done durex! < just look at the comments received on a postdrop me an email or give me a tweet @futureblogging.
3- Search for a whopper virgin
Burger King made it their objective to put the whooper head-to-head with their rivals leading burger the ‘Big Mac’. However, it wasn’t the competition that lay in dispute, it was the methods used.
Critics suggested that spending ‘millions of dollars’ traveling around the world to countries such as Romania and Thailand, presented immoral values. In areas where poverty and hunger are severe, Burger King were perceived to be taking advantage of a poor situation.
The head of marketing defended their methods, stating that they treated the whole process with ‘reverence and respect’.
Burger King posted videos on their website revealing the ‘whooper virgins’’ choices and subsequently gained greater exposure through high audience sources such as ABC news shown in the video.
These three campaigns show that controversy can be a winning formula. However, that is not to suggest that we recommend producing the most controversial advert for 2010.
Explore the boundaries, discuss what works and hopefully you will produce a marketing piece for all to talk about (in a positive respect!).
Need further advice or want to pursue this topic more? Feel free to