Putting your brand at risk

Any rude messages in response to you attempting to post a reply are courtesy of Typepad's poor thinking, marketing and customer relations.
==================================================================================

To the topic: This is about the most dumb-ass bit of opportunistic advertising I've seen in 2006. It's the perfect way to alienate customers who might feel some sort of affinity with our barmy Minister of Health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. There's topical 'ambush' stuff that works, and other that simply puts the brand at risk. Whoever signed off on this from the ad agency should have her or his butt kicked. I realise the INtention was ATTention, but at what potential cost? Stoopid.

Comments

[Me2]

Oh come on, how is a playful little ad like this possibly going to "alienate" anyone who feels an affinity for Manto? More likely, assuming such a constituency actually exists, it'll make them feel good about the brand, because it's such a nice punt for her famous recipe. But even then...who takes any notice of the brand of bread they're buying? It's probably the ultimate generic..."our daily bread". With that in mind, whoever came up with this concept deserves praise, not censure, for at least doing something to set their particular brand apart.

[Clive Simpkins]

Disagree utterly! The logic behind your 'make them feel good' is arrived at precisely how? Codswallop! If it's such a generic, why do they advertise? Why do the largest FMCG brands in the country continue to advertise? To stay top of mind of course. So your naivete is outed. ;-) It's a stupid and risky concept whichever way you cut it.

[Me2]

Hmmm. I thought you might disagree utterly. So how, precisely, do you arrive at the logic behind your "perfect way to alienate customers who might feel some sort of affinity with our barmy Minister of Health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang"? That's pure conjecture on your part. And isn't it also rather patronising to assume that Minister Manto's supporters have absolutely, utterly no sense of humour, as you are clearly implying?

[Clive Simpkins]

You haven't yet answered my question. So if you genuinely expect some discussion, then at least have the courtesy to conform to debate guidelines! ;-)

[Me2]

No, you first, since it is YOUR contention that this harmless little ad is likely to alienate an entire constituency of Manto supporters. Provide some empirical evidence (or even some anecdotal evidence) to back up your knee-jerk contention, and I will gladly answer your question in turn. Until then, let me just say that this is the first and only ad for bread that has ever caught my eye, and that I found it playful and amusing and neatly-executed to boot. Why the heck shouldn't bread brands be allowed to take a little risk every now and again, even if some people may find it "stoopid"?

[Clive Simpkins]

Regretfully no further discussion from me. You raise an issue and refuse to provide validation whilst expecting me to provide validation to new questions from you. That explains your fuzzy logic.

[Me2]

Thank you for proving that you have no point whatsoever to prove. I leave your site cheerfully now, to indulge myself in the far more vital act of enjoying a couple of slices of some-or-other brand of bread, pasted onto a healthy construction of garlic, beetroot, African potato and olive oil. And how dare you accuse me of not providing "validation", when I have spent the better part of my day typing in random combinations of numbers and letters, just so that I can prove I am a far better debater than you? Thank you, Sir, and goodnight.

[Clive Simpkins]

Extremely funny! Thanks for the good guffaw! If you really took all that time to type then your typin's even worse than your logic capability. ;-0