From inappropriate slogans on Wicked Campervans to American Apparel’s nod to Lolita fantasy in its current campaign, brands have long been using shock tactics to sell their products. “Where the bloody hell are you?” and “Sick ‘em Rex” come to mind as some of the controversial catchphrases of ads deemed inappropriate by Australian and global advertising standards. But what is it that makes an ad, designed to shock, successful? And are PR stunts moving beyond the edge of reason?
An incident on board a United Airlines flight made news this week after two passengers were involved in a dispute that turned ugly over a reclining seat and a gadget known as the “Knee Defender”. The “Knee Defender” is a US$21.95 device designed to attach to your tray table, stopping the passenger in front of you from reclining their seat - and almost guaranteeing their wrath in the proceeds.
The incident is now suspected to be a PR stunt and if it was then it was a reasonably successful one, with the gadget’s site crashing on Tuesday and a “substantial” rise in sales. In terms of earned media and sales ROI, that has to be Effie territory.
PR stunts usually go two ways: good, and not good. Don't involve animals is a golden rule. In the latter category, the South Australian government two years ago sent 55 goldfish out to media executives to promote a tour by Advantage, SA. Most of them arrived at their destinations dead. Not quite The Godfather, but probably not the message they were going for.
While the Knee Defender stunt probably overstepped the line, diverting a flight, risking prosecution and doing all of this in a country not particularly renowned for a sense of humour when it comes to air travel, it could be that extreme PR stunts become more frequent as marketers place more dollars into owned and earned media. But it is likely to remain the preserve of the smaller brands.
Challenger brand approaches tend to go for the shock tactic. Many have no real brand equity to protect and for them the adage about all publicity being good stands to reason.
In advertising watchdog terms, Wicked Campers is literally the poster child of bad boy ads. It takes the same extreme approach. While the flashy designs hand painted on the side of vans appeal to a younger male demographic, to others, they are deeply offensive.
After complaints surrounding ten separate slogans and art works, Wicked has suggested it will remove offensive slogans, but appears to be in no hurry to do so, and the ad standards watchdog has no legal clout whatsoever.
But there does seem to be a happy medium for brands in terms of taste and tactics.
Earlier this year, while predicting the demise of hipsters, beards and Brazilians, The Future Laboratory's Martin Raymond also suggested that brands would take a more tongue-in-cheek approach to marketing, packaging and point of sale.
He cited products in the US as leading the charge, and it seems that Australia is now picking up the baton.
That will likely see a bit more fun in the local retail section in the year ahead.
The pay off for brands that get the balance right can be literally worth its weight in PR gold. But the line between arse faces and red faces is a thin one to tread.
Rebecca Chambers is a final year student at Macquarie University studying a Bachelor of Media and Comms. She will be joining the AdNews team on the 9 September.
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