Seth Godin wrote a post the other day that said hoaxes are unethical marketing. I’m not sure I totally agree. His post centered around this popcorn cell phone video that’s really amazing to see.
Now this message isn’t relevant to a cell phone brand (omg that’s going into my brain?) nor does it say much for the pop corn (so convienant you can pop it with your phone?) but it does generate that “NO WAY” moment and you immediately starting thinking on whether it could be true. Whether it is or isn’t, you’re still trying to figure it out.
Here’s an example that’s closer to brand relevancy:
Did he really make the jump? Do Nike shoes help you do superhuman things? Is Kobe superhuman? Regardless of whether it’s a hoax or not, people are buzzing over Kobe.
I think Powerade did the best job with this type of marketing. Anyone remember the Michael Vick commerical? (Too bad he didn’t stick to football).
What do you think? Is hoax marketing unethical?
brandbulldawg
Fri, June 13 2008
Hey,
Hoaxes can be good viral marketing if done properly. If you click the url I copied, it is another hoax for a movie. I think the target audience needs to be kept in mind always. Some people think this type of marketing is boring and some people will think it is awesome. From an ethical perspective, I think that most people have a b.s. filter in their brain for most advertising.
Brandon Deloach
Fri, June 13 2008
So I totally believe Michael Vik can throw a ball 300 yards, but an exploding Powerade bottle? What a bunch of crap.
Fri, June 13 2008
@brandbulldawg Yeah, the office freak out clip made its way around the office earlier this week. While it’s well known now it’s a hoax, what a great way to build excitement for the movie. Blair Witch did something similar, remember?
MediaMisfit
Thu, June 19 2008
I think it is important to differentiate a hoax from blatant false advertising. Beauty and weight lose products that use photoshopped pictures in their ads are probably more unethical that some fun videos.
Fri, June 20 2008
@MediaMisfit I think level of absurdity helps as well. If Powerade claimed you could throw the football 10 yards farther, then it would be misleading instead of a funny way of saying it “propels” you. Great point!
xirclebox
Thu, June 26 2008
Commercials are meant to grab our attention and create some buzz about the brand or industry represented.
I would venture to say that a hoax is unethical for product promotion when its real world application can result in serious injury or death or personal ruin. For example when Volvo reinforced their car in the commercial with steel beams to keep it from being crushed. They had to fork over alot of $$ to avoid a deceptive- advertising lawsuit.
However commercials like Tiger Woods juggling the golf ball using only his club. Was it a hoax? Yep, but it was great to see and it’s not far from tricks he performs when on tour.
Just like Vick. The dude throws hard! HArd enough to knock a man off his feet? eh.. still fun to watch though.
Not every commercial is “true”. Most are very boring. But in this Viral day and age, commercials need to step out and entertain the viewer just like the anything else on TV.
Thu, June 26 2008
@xirclebox I would agree that if a commercial made claims that could get people hurt, it would fall into “unethical”. Good point.
And Tiger Woods dribbling the golf ball is NOT a hoax. He used to practice while waiting at junior tournaments as a kid. It’s been replicated a couple of times on YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=P2ygjAHElVw
Thanks for your comment!