Is it good or bad for your company if your brand is behind a controversial campaign?
We’ll try to answer this question by looking back at some controversial ad campaigns that, intentionally or not, ended up in the spotlight. For some, beyond being a blunder, it’s a strategy to get everyone to take the bait: a foolproof formula for putting a brand at the centre of every debate.
As consumers we love being surprised, and as marketing experts we know that only what gets talked about exists. For better or worse, taking risks and being irreverent, groundbreaking and unorthodox is an ideal way to provoke.
Brands that seem to ignore good advertising practice do so because they have a unique personality, and that, you’ll agree, is a quality people fall in love with.
Yes, getting people to talk badly about your brand is a risky strategy, but it can end up being a real promotional win.
In 2011, Benetton and its ‘Unhate’ campaign showed Pope Benedict XVI and Ahmed Mohamed al-Tayeb, imam of Cairo’s Al-Azhar mosque, locked in a passionate kiss. Merkel and Sarkozy appeared the same way, as did Chávez and Obama, among others. They ended up withdrawing the photomontages and apologising. In its defence, the Italian clothing group said its philosophy is based on the idea that “hatred never ends hatred in this world, only love ends it”. It wasn’t the first time its print campaigns had caused controversy. To coincide with the Barcelona ’92 Olympic Games, they created a poster where the famous Olympic rings were replaced with five coloured condoms. In this case, the aim was simply to raise awareness of HIV prevention. In the United States it was considered pornographic and censored.
Campaigns like these spark reactions in society and, amplified on social media, go viral at zero cost to the brand.
Another example is the Spanish brand El Corte Inglés and the withdrawal of one of its classic ‘Back to School’ campaigns. This time, in 2020, the artwork showed a child’s feet on the edge of a chair. It was criticised for suicidal connotations and pulled immediately. A negative reading of the campaign, which many called “terrifying”, didn’t overshadow its advertising success: the brand became the top trending topic on social media in Spain (maybe that’s the point, isn’t it?).
Issues such as sexualisation, racism, the degradation and objectification of women, violence, cultural appropriation or insensitivity towards topics such as mental health can damage a brand’s reputation or create a huge stir.
For its autumn-winter 2017 Superstar campaign, Adidas worked with Swedish model and artist Arvida Byström. The idea behind the campaign was to free viewers from stereotypes. The image of the activist and feminist with unshaven legs caused a huge stir, and she publicly reported receiving threats on her social media.
In 2021, the German multinational once again celebrated female body hair in its eco-friendly clothing campaign. This time, designer Stella McCartney came up with the concept: a model wearing her new collection with underarm hair. The model was Leila Davis, who appeared natural and confident. Social media exploded with arguments from supporters and critics. Some thought the campaign was spot on and praised it for showing values such as confidence, authenticity and inclusivity. Others saw it as a lack of personal hygiene.
Having good ideas and doing your job well isn’t enough. For your brand to become ‘top of mind’, you need to back creative, innovative strategies. Work with a team of advertising professionals with deep market insight and different perspectives.
At Conecta we help you design high-impact campaigns, create original content and make sure everyone’s talking about your brand.
