Every once in a while a brand does something so stupid, you have to say, "What were they thinking?" This is clearly one of those times. As reported in Variety and picked up by Adweek, Twentieth Century Fox has been promoting its new movie "A Cure for Wellness" with a variety of fake news sites that include outrageous stories about the health of President Donald Trump and other made-up articles that encourage readers to share them using the hashtag #cureforwellness.
The publicity stunt has received condemnation from some marketing executives and consumers, with one person on Twitter writing, "Boycott #CureForWellness for highly irresponsible creation of fake news in today's environment."
The studio defends this by saying the fake news concept is a tie-in with the movie plot - a fake cause for an illness. But, after all the pre and post-election nonsense around "fake news" and the ongoing turmoil in and around the Trump White House,what brand would possible think a "fake news" promotion is a good idea?
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Brands promote inclusion in a year of anti-Muslim vitriol
Something I saw on TV during the holidays was
so good, it made me think, maybe there’s hope for the advertising business
after all! The Amazon Prime TV spot we showcase in this edition of CMN
featuring a white-haired Christian pastor and his friend, a Muslim imam, was
compelling, culturally sensitive and brave. It stands as an example of
pitch-perfect brand messaging. With all the anti-Muslim garbage slung around
during the 2016 election, it was a reassuring example of the advertising
industry’s ability to tell a story – albeit a very short one – and make a real emotional
connection.
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