{"id":808,"date":"2019-12-17T00:18:56","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T00:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yorkandchapel.com\/cn\/?p=808"},"modified":"2023-03-29T18:05:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T22:05:17","slug":"6-holiday-marketing-fails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yorkandchapel.com\/cn\/blog\/6-holiday-marketing-fails\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Holiday Marketing Fails"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the years, companies have learned to capitalize on the holidays to spread cheer, joy and (most importantly) generate revenue. We take a look at some holiday marketing fails that have missed the mark, led to confusion, or were downright offensive<\/span>.<\/h2><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Poundland: Naughty Elf \u2013 2017<\/h4>\n\"pooundland\n

Poundland, a variety store in the UK, released a social media campaign in 2017 featuring a little elf in a series of rather risqu\u00e9 poses, and up to no good. Throughout the Christmas period, Poundland posted more images of this Elf behaving badly, ranging from innuendo to overtly sexual imagery. This particular post features the line, \u2018Joker, joker, I really want to poker.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n\"Naughty\n

Unfortunately for Poundland, the Naughty Elf campaign proved divisive, with the British Advertising Standards Authority and the tabloids deeming the campaign \u2018outrageous\u2019 and \u2018irresponsible\u2019. But the following year, the Naughty Elf returned\u2014perhaps Poundland would prefer to be controversial than forgettable.<\/p>\n

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2. Bloomingdales: Keep an Eye on Your Eggnog \u2013 2015<\/h4>\n\"Bloomingdales\"\n

Bloomingdales released this holiday ad as part of a Christmas catalog back in 2015. The unfortunate ad features a male looking over at a laughing female, with the copy: ‘Spike your best friend\u2019s eggnog when they\u2019re not looking.’\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Members of the public were understandably outraged\u2014instead of coming across as playful, the ad felt complicit in date rape. In response to public outcry, Bloomingdales released a public apology: ‘In reflection of your feedback, the copy we used in our recent catalog was inappropriate and in poor taste.’<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, this ad completely misses the mark. Obviously the copy is in poor taste, but it also fails to convey any sense of the luxury synonymous with the brand.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Greggs: Sausage Roll Nativity \u2013 2017<\/h4>\n\"Greggs\n

British bakery Greggs released this ill-conceived ad as part of their \u2018Merry Greggsmas\u2019 Christmas calendar. This particular piece of creative replaces Jesus in the nativity scene with a Greggs sausage roll\u2014it got them a lot of attention, but it was more than a little insensitive. The release of the advent calendar sparked a significant backlash, with Greggs responding with a public apology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Using sensitive topics in marketing is always risky, but can be used effectively to deliver a powerful or meaningful message. In this case, it was a bad call\u2014the concept treated a sensitive subject too flippantly, which was bound to offend people (and justifiably so). Even if it did connect with the target audience on social\u2014presumably millennials and Gen Z\u2014the wider damage to the brand wasn\u2019t worth it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Marks & Spencer: Christmas Fairytale \u2013 2013<\/h4>\n\"Christmas\n

Marks & Spencer released this holiday ad to support their Christmas Campaign, \u2018Believe in Magic and Sparkle.\u2019 At a whopping two minutes long, the story offers a blend of classic fairytales\u2014from Alice in Wonderland to The Wizard of Oz\u2014resulting in a rather peculiar cocktail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The ad itself is gorgeous. However, the size of the budget and overwhelming narrative tend to hinder, rather than help, the overall message. The fantastical narrative clashes with the awkward moments of product placement, while the celebrity cameos feel equally forced. We suspect this ad would have been improved by a sharper focus\u2014in both the narrative and product offering.
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