Tag: Backlash

Best Of Backlash: The Activative Team Selects Its ‘Worst 5’ Sports Marketing Fails & Fiascos

As the bot-led, automated Twitter strand of adidas’ #DareToBeDifferent Arsenal kit launch campaign backfires spectacularly, we wonder when sports marketers are going learn from past mistakes and stop opening themselves up to offensive manipulation by chasing the cheap social metrics that un-monitored bots can generate.   From racism and sexism, to scandal and offense, the… Continue reading Best Of Backlash: The Activative Team Selects Its ‘Worst 5’ Sports Marketing Fails & Fiascos

North Face Cuts Unethical Wikipedia Campaign Which Sneaked The Brand To The Top Of Google Search

Just a few days after its launch, The North Face pulled its Wikipedia product placement campaign after a backlash labelling the initiative ‘unethical’.   The campaign, developed with ad agency Leo Burnett Tailor Made (the Brazillian arm of the ad shop), was cut on 29 May after it was widely criticised for manipulating Wikipedia to feature… Continue reading North Face Cuts Unethical Wikipedia Campaign Which Sneaked The Brand To The Top Of Google Search

BBC Sports Promotes FIFA Women’s World Cup Coverage With Anthem Led ‘Change the Game’ Initiative

Led by a hero trailer for its coverage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the BBC launched an integrated ‘Change The Game’ initiative to shine the spotlight women’s sport through the summer.   The spearhead spot features some of the world’s most famous footballers from the UK and beyond focusing on their skills, athleticism… Continue reading BBC Sports Promotes FIFA Women’s World Cup Coverage With Anthem Led ‘Change the Game’ Initiative

Skechers/Puma Troll Nike’s Zion Shoe Disintegration Via ‘Just Blew It’ & ‘Wouldn’t Have Happened’ Posts

Following the week’s big injury to top college basketball super star Zion Williams seemingly caused by his Nike PG 2.5 sneaker splitting apart so publicly on court during the year’s highest profile NCAA hoops game between Duke and North Carolina,   Zion's shoe: destroyedpic.twitter.com/LqQ2te0Jay — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2019   sportswear rivals such as… Continue reading Skechers/Puma Troll Nike’s Zion Shoe Disintegration Via ‘Just Blew It’ & ‘Wouldn’t Have Happened’ Posts

DFB Sponsor Lufthansa Pulls Russia 2018 Ad Shot In Kiev After Consumer Backlash

German airline Lufthansa apologised for shooting its World Cup 2018 ad campaign promotion in the Ukrainian capital Kiev rather than in Moscow – despite implying it was filmed in Russia.   The promotion featured two enthusiastic German supporters attempting to make the most of their time in Moscow during the World Cup.   After fan… Continue reading DFB Sponsor Lufthansa Pulls Russia 2018 Ad Shot In Kiev After Consumer Backlash

Burger King Russia Burns Promo Rewarding Women Impregnated By World Cup Stars With Whoppers

Burger King’s Russia has axed a social media promotion offering $50,000 and free Whoppers for life to Russian women who manage to get impregnated by a player during the 2018 World Cup.   The supposedly comic social media campaign, posted initially on the corporate account for Burger King Russia, offered women 3m roubles and a lifetime’s… Continue reading Burger King Russia Burns Promo Rewarding Women Impregnated By World Cup Stars With Whoppers

Mastercard JuntosSomos10 Leverages Russia 2018 By Linking Kids Meal Giveaways To World Cup Goals

The payments brand aimed to leverage World Cup fever in Latin America and the Caribbean with a kids cause initiative that set out to see company provide 10,000 meals to starving children (through to the World Food Programme) for every goal scored by Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr during Russia 2018 and for the next… Continue reading Mastercard JuntosSomos10 Leverages Russia 2018 By Linking Kids Meal Giveaways To World Cup Goals

Subway’s ‘Late For Training’ Surprise Stunt Leverages Liverpool FC Sponsorship

Fast food sandwich giant Subway’s ‘Late For Training’ stunt astonishes unsuspecting Liverpool FC fans with a surprise Daniel Sturridge training experience.   The Anfield club’s official food partner’s new campaign, developed in harness with sponsorship agency Prism, ensured four competition-winning fans had a day to remember.   The sandwich giant whisked the supporters away from… Continue reading Subway’s ‘Late For Training’ Surprise Stunt Leverages Liverpool FC Sponsorship

Total Beauty Gives $10K To Charity After Black Star Mix-Up At Race-Sensitive Oscars

During its social ambush of the 2016 Oscars campaign, the cosmetics brand Total Beauty mixed up two of Hollywood’s leading black stars, mistaking Whoopi Goldberg for Oprah, on its twitter feed and fuelled a social backlash amidst the ongoing Academy Awards race inequality controversy.   Total Beauty posted an image of Goldberg at The Oscars… Continue reading Total Beauty Gives $10K To Charity After Black Star Mix-Up At Race-Sensitive Oscars

McDonald’s #CheersToSochi Links Fans/Teams/Protests

McDonald’s Sochi 2014 social campaign asks fans to send good luck messages to athletes and teams using the hashtag #CheersToSochi.   Olympic fans, athlete supporters and fast food consumers can tweet messages (orr send them via the www.cheerstosochi.com website) which are then shared through a digital display in the McDonald’s within the Athletes’ Village where… Continue reading McDonald’s #CheersToSochi Links Fans/Teams/Protests

Chevy Axes World Series ‘Silverado Strong’ Stunt

Major League Baseball’s strategy of using its showpiece World Series to raise awareness of the joint cause programmes of the league and its partners is not only admirable, but also potentially provides a fine template for powerful rights owner/sponsor CSR alliances.   But when the partnership lacks genuine synergy there can be potentially disastrous consequences.… Continue reading Chevy Axes World Series ‘Silverado Strong’ Stunt