Worst Marketing Campaigns and Promotions
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:27 am
Unfortunately, everything in life has two sides to the coin, including marketing campaigns. So today let's talk a little about the worst marketing campaigns and activities that have unfortunately seen the light of day.
1. Ill-considered marketing campaigns and promotions
1. H&M "Coolest monkey in the jungle" campaign
At the beginning of 2018, one of the most recognizable clothing brands in the world, H&M, launched a campaign promoting new products referring to African animals. There would be nothing controversial about it if not for the product photography. The white-skinned child shown in it had a sweatshirt with a tiger and the words “Mangrove Jungle Survival Expert”, which is nothing extraordinary, but a wave of outrage among recipients was aroused by a black child who did not have any animal on his sweatshirt, only the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle”, which loosely translates to “the coolest monkey in the jungle”.
H&M Campaign
Due to this, the company suffered millions in losses in the form of terminated collaborations, mainly with black stars, such as LeBron James known from NBA basketball, Romelu Lukaku - Manchester United footballer, or the popular Canadian singer - The Weeknd.
2.Pepsi
The situation took place in 1992 and led to riots in the Philippines. That year, Pepsi launched a promotion in the Philippines called "Number Fever", which roughly translated meant "Number Fever". It consisted of a unique code under each Pepsi bottle cap, and every evening, Philippine television would announce the winning number. As a rule, the daily winnings were not large, because canada telemarketing data on average they amounted to about 100 Philippine pesos, which in today's money is about PLN 8-9. However, a main prize was also set, which was to be received by two lucky buyers. The main prize was set at 1 million Philippine pesos , which in today's money is equivalent to about PLN 85,000. An important piece of information that we cannot ignore is the fact that at that time, poverty prevailed in the Philippines, which motivated Filipinos even more to take part in this promotion.
On May 25, 1992, the winning number that would win the grand prize was announced, it was number 349. There was complete confusion, because it turned out that 800,000 people had entered for the grand prize, with the number 349.
The company was of course not prepared for this and had to make an official apology for the mistake, and as compensation offered each winner 20 dollars. Some people accepted this compensation, but others did not agree to it, and that is when the wave of protests began, tens of thousands of people began to protest in the streets, riots began, about 40 Pepsi trucks were attacked, looted and burned. Even the headquarters of the concern in Manila was attacked, as a result of which three employees were killed.
After some time, the riots stopped, but a coalition of people who felt cheated by the corporation was formed - "Coalition 349", and the trials dragged on for many months. Finally, after 14 years, the Pepsi corporation was found innocent and was not obliged to pay compensation.
Pepsi promotion incident
3. Gerber and the expansion of operations in Africa
Another mishap occurred when Gerber, a company that sells food and baby food, decided to expand its operations to African countries and introduce jars of food to the market there. However, the problem arose when it was noticed that it did not want to sell there at all. It turned out that the company had neglected one very important, even key element - market research.
Gerber introduced their products in Africa in exactly the same packaging as in other countries, but they did not know that Africa had a very high rate of illiteracy, so most people could not read what the product was really for or what was in it. Furthermore, in the African food market, the products on the packaging showed the contents, which people were used to. Considering that a large part of Gerber's packaging is their logo of a small child, Africans perceived it as a product promoting cannibalism.
Expanding Gerber's business
4. American Airlines and its unique package
In the early 1990s, the American airline American Airlines offered a unique offer for its services: they made it possible to purchase a lifetime ticket on all of their airlines for just $250,000.
The amount was not small, but of course the offer found interested people who were tempted by it. However, it quickly turned out that many buyers did not intend to lose on this purchase and there were many people who used their tickets to the limit, such as one of the passengers who used over 10 thousand flights, which together would have cost 21 million dollars. It is not difficult to imagine the huge financial losses suffered by the airline because of this.
American Airlines Package
2. Ads like “How the hell did this get approved?!”
At this point I would like to present a few advertising campaigns that do not require any additional description and which I would like to leave to individual interpretation.
1. Ill-considered marketing campaigns and promotions
1. H&M "Coolest monkey in the jungle" campaign
At the beginning of 2018, one of the most recognizable clothing brands in the world, H&M, launched a campaign promoting new products referring to African animals. There would be nothing controversial about it if not for the product photography. The white-skinned child shown in it had a sweatshirt with a tiger and the words “Mangrove Jungle Survival Expert”, which is nothing extraordinary, but a wave of outrage among recipients was aroused by a black child who did not have any animal on his sweatshirt, only the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle”, which loosely translates to “the coolest monkey in the jungle”.
H&M Campaign
Due to this, the company suffered millions in losses in the form of terminated collaborations, mainly with black stars, such as LeBron James known from NBA basketball, Romelu Lukaku - Manchester United footballer, or the popular Canadian singer - The Weeknd.
2.Pepsi
The situation took place in 1992 and led to riots in the Philippines. That year, Pepsi launched a promotion in the Philippines called "Number Fever", which roughly translated meant "Number Fever". It consisted of a unique code under each Pepsi bottle cap, and every evening, Philippine television would announce the winning number. As a rule, the daily winnings were not large, because canada telemarketing data on average they amounted to about 100 Philippine pesos, which in today's money is about PLN 8-9. However, a main prize was also set, which was to be received by two lucky buyers. The main prize was set at 1 million Philippine pesos , which in today's money is equivalent to about PLN 85,000. An important piece of information that we cannot ignore is the fact that at that time, poverty prevailed in the Philippines, which motivated Filipinos even more to take part in this promotion.
On May 25, 1992, the winning number that would win the grand prize was announced, it was number 349. There was complete confusion, because it turned out that 800,000 people had entered for the grand prize, with the number 349.
The company was of course not prepared for this and had to make an official apology for the mistake, and as compensation offered each winner 20 dollars. Some people accepted this compensation, but others did not agree to it, and that is when the wave of protests began, tens of thousands of people began to protest in the streets, riots began, about 40 Pepsi trucks were attacked, looted and burned. Even the headquarters of the concern in Manila was attacked, as a result of which three employees were killed.
After some time, the riots stopped, but a coalition of people who felt cheated by the corporation was formed - "Coalition 349", and the trials dragged on for many months. Finally, after 14 years, the Pepsi corporation was found innocent and was not obliged to pay compensation.
Pepsi promotion incident
3. Gerber and the expansion of operations in Africa
Another mishap occurred when Gerber, a company that sells food and baby food, decided to expand its operations to African countries and introduce jars of food to the market there. However, the problem arose when it was noticed that it did not want to sell there at all. It turned out that the company had neglected one very important, even key element - market research.
Gerber introduced their products in Africa in exactly the same packaging as in other countries, but they did not know that Africa had a very high rate of illiteracy, so most people could not read what the product was really for or what was in it. Furthermore, in the African food market, the products on the packaging showed the contents, which people were used to. Considering that a large part of Gerber's packaging is their logo of a small child, Africans perceived it as a product promoting cannibalism.
Expanding Gerber's business
4. American Airlines and its unique package
In the early 1990s, the American airline American Airlines offered a unique offer for its services: they made it possible to purchase a lifetime ticket on all of their airlines for just $250,000.
The amount was not small, but of course the offer found interested people who were tempted by it. However, it quickly turned out that many buyers did not intend to lose on this purchase and there were many people who used their tickets to the limit, such as one of the passengers who used over 10 thousand flights, which together would have cost 21 million dollars. It is not difficult to imagine the huge financial losses suffered by the airline because of this.
American Airlines Package
2. Ads like “How the hell did this get approved?!”
At this point I would like to present a few advertising campaigns that do not require any additional description and which I would like to leave to individual interpretation.