Cleverly Promoting Your Brand
If a brand makes a misstep, consumers are typically quick to criticize and voice their opinions. Take for instance Bud Light’s recent “Removing No from your Vocabulary” campaign that sparked accusations of promoting rape culture or even some of yesterday’s Cinco de Mayo posts some called racist. These brands were attempting to push the bound of creativity and met (mostly) with public disapproval. There are usually mixed reviews – ranging from outrage against the brand to outrage against those offended.
Audi recently kept this social media fervor in mind when creating a new campaign in Ireland. They posted photos of crashing and poorly parked cars with the hashtag #women drivers. This of course sparked controversy of stereotypes and sexism – but when you click through, you see that they have taken the phrase to mean something entirely different. The links redirect to stories of women “driving” ahead in technology, science and sports, turning the phrase around entirely.
While not a perfect campaign, it certainly is unique and eye-catching. It is a fine line to keep in balance when attempting to be clever and different when promoting your brand – it is your name and product you are promoting, after all.
