The most memorable advertisements are those that emotionally engage the audience, often humanizing the corporation in the process. They appeal to human ideals of trust, friendship and camaraderie. An effective example is the “Budweiser Clydesdale Brotherhood” ad, aired during the 2013 Super Bowl. Yet these advertisements walk a fine line between emotionally appealing and tasteless. In light of the 12th anniversary of 9/11, AT&T posted a tweet reading “never forget,” along with a photo of a hand holding a smartphone aimed at the New York Skyline, taking a photo of the memorial. A significant backlash followed soon after, with users asking “How dare you [AT&T]. Yet other users chimed in, tweeting that it was “OK” and “tasteful.” Other organizations also tweeted messages in regards to the anniversary, with mixed results. Obviously, an event such as 9/11 still holds emotional significance for many stakeholders. Ideally, each interaction with the stakeholders is carefully crafted to ensure a positive response, and although the tweet was in remembrance, it did come through one of AT&T’s media outlets, begging the question – was this an attempt at enhancing the corporate image? If so, is it ethical for corporations and businesses to use tragic events to promote the company?
In this blog post, Jessica Tsai discusses another aspect of memorable advertising, similarly discussing the exploitation of sensitive subjects, but with a focus on advertising in relation to pop culture: https://blogs.ubc.ca/jessicatsai/2013/09/11/comm101sec102-business-ethics-edgy-advertisement/
More information can be found here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/marketing-tragedy-when-ads-become-apologies/article14267057/
Photo source: http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2013/09/911-anniversary-advertising-fails-provoke-outrage.html
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