Disastrous PR Stories

As per the basic definition, the word brand is used to signify what your company stands for and what it signifies. Brand is a series of rules, regulations and expectations as defined by the public opinion and when worked on by the right public relations company, the message can be positively reinforcing. However, what do you do when you are affected by a crisis because your PR company did not do their job right? Check out some really epic disasters which took place because the PR company did not give its brand the required attention, time and effort!

1. Automaker’s CEO goes to Washington DC on a private jet.

When you go to your lenders expecting a bailout to the tune of $ 25 billion, the least you could do is not show up in your private jet, right? In the year 2008, the CEOs of Automaker, GM and Ford thought otherwise and decided to make a very public appearance in the city in a very expensive and fancy private jet! If only the PR company had a complete understanding of the situation, a major issue would have been avoided. Now, hybrid cars are the choice of transport, not private jets. Oops!

2. Abercrombie and Fitch’s wardrobe malfunction 

In April 2002, Abercrombie and Fitch decided to up their latest collection by introducing a line of T shirts with caricatures of popular Asian characters. To prevent any major backlash from people, A&F released a statement saying, “We personally thought Asians would love this T shirt.” Um, no offense, but there really is no underlying sense of humour here.

Before people could understand the full impact of shirts that boasted of direct attack against Asians, A&F went a step further and released  thongs in childrens’ sizes, aimed at girls aged between 10 and 14 years. Their response? “The underwear for young girls was created with the intent to be lighthearted and cute.” A major disaster right there, A&F was hit with several negative comments on not only their packaging, but on the kind of clothes they sold to the public with no conscience.

3. Urban Outfitters creates a supremely racist version of Monopoly 

Remember when Urban Outfitters started customising Monopoly and released a series of specific sets that were meant for people who lived outside the United States. While a majority of these sets were an instant hit, there was one version which majorly backfired. With lines like “Get rich by “buying stolen properties, pimpin hoes, building crack houses and getting car jacked!” and  “You got yo whole neighborhood addicted to crack. Collect $50.” Score!, Urban Outfitters ended up offending an entire community by taking stereotyping to an all new level. Not cool guys, not cool!

4. When Harper Collins thought it was a good idea to publish O.J Simpsons story! 

When you work in the publishing field as an editor, it is your job to filter the kind of manuscripts you publish, right? That is what Judith Regan, a publisher at Harper Collins, did not do! When Regan issued a public statement through Fox News saying she was working on a book about how O.J. Simpson killed his wife, the public went ballistic. What made news all the more scathing was the fact the manuscript was written by the man accused of the crime in itself: O.J. Simpson, giving the American public a very strong reason to hate the book. While neither Fox News nor Regan made a comment on the issue, owner Rupert Murdofch immediately issued an apology while firing Regan on the spot! Talk about lack of judgement and sensitivity!

5. A Cartoon Network publicity stunt causes major bomb scare! 

In 2007, when guerrilla marketing just hit the advertising world in a big way, Cartoon Network decided to launch their new show. Titled Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Cartoon Network placed 38 lit up magnet signs across Boston, with indirect references to the show. Done right, the campaign could have done really well. Unfortunately for Cartoon Network, the good citizens of Boston flipped out and thought the city was under attack through bombs! As a result of the huge number of phone calls received by the Boston police, bomb squads were deployed and public transport was brought to a standstill.

To quieten down the situation, the head of Cartoon Network at the time stepped down as CEO and took full responsibility for approving this particular campaign. To make matters worse, the two people who were directly responsible for the campaign were arrested and faced criminal charges for the hoax!

When your public relations team does a bad thing, the entire marketing strategy goes out of whack. If you think we missed out on any marketing strategies that went really wrong, comment and let us know!