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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/15/wicked-camper-vans-repulsive-slogans-are-nothing-more-than-real-life-click-bait
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Wicked Campers' repulsive slogans are nothing more than real life click bait | Wicked Campers' repulsive slogans are nothing more than real life click bait |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Wicked Campers are living up to their | Wicked Campers are living up to their |
| name and, from a purely marketing perspective, they’re doing a textbook job. | name and, from a purely marketing perspective, they’re doing a textbook job. |
| They are selling cheap hire cars to (mostly) young male backpackers with a | They are selling cheap hire cars to (mostly) young male backpackers with a |
| tight budget. There are other players in this market but Wicked have found a | tight budget. There are other players in this market but Wicked have found a |
| way to stand out and, furthermore, a way to stand out that is entirely in | way to stand out and, furthermore, a way to stand out that is entirely in |
| keeping with their brand. | keeping with their brand. |
| And what is their brand? It is summed up by | And what is their brand? It is summed up by |
| their name: their cars are usually covered in graffiti'ed, gratuitously offensive quotes (to take just a few: "In every princess there is a little slut who wants to try it just once"; "drink till she's pretty"; "men have two emotions: hungry and horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich"). | |
| It is the opposite of aspirational; it is under-graduate, | It is the opposite of aspirational; it is under-graduate, |
| smutty, sniggery and – if you’ll excuse the expression - cocky. It’s very male | smutty, sniggery and – if you’ll excuse the expression - cocky. It’s very male |
| (which doesn’t mean some women won’t be attracted to a "male" brand, my teenage girlfriends | (which doesn’t mean some women won’t be attracted to a "male" brand, my teenage girlfriends |
| and I all smoked Marlboro, for example) and very | and I all smoked Marlboro, for example) and very |
| aggressive. Like the young men it hopes to | aggressive. Like the young men it hopes to |
| appeal to, it’s a brand that pretends it doesn’t care what you think, while it | appeal to, it’s a brand that pretends it doesn’t care what you think, while it |
| really cares very much. It wants to shock and irritate you. It wants to provoke | really cares very much. It wants to shock and irritate you. It wants to provoke |
| outrage and lots of huffing and puffing because that way it proves it is | outrage and lots of huffing and puffing because that way it proves it is |
| actually, well …wicked. The more public the outrage, the louder the protests, | actually, well …wicked. The more public the outrage, the louder the protests, |
| the better their branding has worked – or so they think. It’s the old school | the better their branding has worked – or so they think. It’s the old school |
| media equivalent of click bait. | media equivalent of click bait. |
| Does that mean their offering is appropriate, excusable or reasonable? Of course not, | Does that mean their offering is appropriate, excusable or reasonable? Of course not, |
| but this is where the rubber hits the road in the conflict between what | but this is where the rubber hits the road in the conflict between what |
| marketers are paid to do, and what society expects of them. | marketers are paid to do, and what society expects of them. |
| Marketers and advertisers – persuasion | Marketers and advertisers – persuasion |
| professionals, if you like (and I was one for more than 30 years) are paid to | professionals, if you like (and I was one for more than 30 years) are paid to |
| get their client’s products and services noticed, and to build a personality – | get their client’s products and services noticed, and to build a personality – |
| or brand identity – for them over time. A great deal of thought, time, effort | or brand identity – for them over time. A great deal of thought, time, effort |
| and money goes into developing and honing those brands. | and money goes into developing and honing those brands. |
| Some of which become | Some of which become |
| priceless – think Qantas (even today), Apple, Coke, Disney, Virgin or Penfolds | priceless – think Qantas (even today), Apple, Coke, Disney, Virgin or Penfolds |
| Grange. The people who built those brands did so by | Grange. The people who built those brands did so by |
| understanding what really drives people, and what they actually most desire. Not | understanding what really drives people, and what they actually most desire. Not |
| what we’d like to think drives us, or the things we think we should desire – | what we’d like to think drives us, or the things we think we should desire – |
| but what actually does. Advertising, I believe, is akin to a confronting | but what actually does. Advertising, I believe, is akin to a confronting |
| mirror. It reflects us back to ourselves as we really are – warts, venalities, | mirror. It reflects us back to ourselves as we really are – warts, venalities, |
| prejudices, vanities, perversions and all. If only they realised it, young male | prejudices, vanities, perversions and all. If only they realised it, young male |
| back packers are being viciously insulted by the advertising Wicked is aiming | back packers are being viciously insulted by the advertising Wicked is aiming |
| at them. | at them. |
| Advertising is neither moral nor immoral; | Advertising is neither moral nor immoral; |
| it is amoral. It operates in the realm of what works, what will actually part a | it is amoral. It operates in the realm of what works, what will actually part a |
| fool from his money. In fact, when a marketer commissions me to promote his or | fool from his money. In fact, when a marketer commissions me to promote his or |
| her brand, and by doing so help build it, it would be immoral of me to take | her brand, and by doing so help build it, it would be immoral of me to take |
| their money and use it to push my own agenda. Mind you, I hope I’d be more | their money and use it to push my own agenda. Mind you, I hope I’d be more |
| thoughtful about the long-term prospects of the brand than the current crop of | thoughtful about the long-term prospects of the brand than the current crop of |
| communicators at Wicked, and produce better work. Nevertheless, I don’t | communicators at Wicked, and produce better work. Nevertheless, I don’t |
| recommend using advertising people as society’s moral guardians. | recommend using advertising people as society’s moral guardians. |
| But what about sexist, racist and generally | But what about sexist, racist and generally |
| objectionable ads such as Wicked’s latest offering, can we do nothing about | objectionable ads such as Wicked’s latest offering, can we do nothing about |
| those? That’s where the true moral guardians – the public and their new power | those? That’s where the true moral guardians – the public and their new power |
| via social media – come into their own. Yes, such advertisers want to cause a | via social media – come into their own. Yes, such advertisers want to cause a |
| ruckus and get attention, but when they go too far it can blow up in their face. | ruckus and get attention, but when they go too far it can blow up in their face. |
| Given the blow back on social media, it will be | Given the blow back on social media, it will be |
| a brave group of young people who happily take possession of a Wicked van | a brave group of young people who happily take possession of a Wicked van |
| bearing the princess and the slut slogan. I suspect the offending vehicles are | bearing the princess and the slut slogan. I suspect the offending vehicles are |
| being quietly re-painted as I write, despite the company’s apparent bravado. | being quietly re-painted as I write, despite the company’s apparent bravado. |
| After all, Wicked have been burnt before when the Advertising Standards Bureau | After all, Wicked have been burnt before when the Advertising Standards Bureau |
| righty upheld a complaint in March about their appalling "fat girls are easier | righty upheld a complaint in March about their appalling "fat girls are easier |
| to kidnap" slogan. | to kidnap" slogan. |
| It is one thing to have a brand which is | It is one thing to have a brand which is |
| seen as subversive, edgy and wicked, but quite another for it to become | seen as subversive, edgy and wicked, but quite another for it to become |
| nasty, scary, sulky and so try-hard that it becomes embarrassing to possess - | nasty, scary, sulky and so try-hard that it becomes embarrassing to possess - |
| or drive. Thanks to those who have protested loudly, I think Wicked may have pushed their luck too far. | or drive. Thanks to those who have protested loudly, I think Wicked may have pushed their luck too far. |
| One more thing Wicked might like to think | One more thing Wicked might like to think |
| about if they want to pull their brand back from the brink of permanently | about if they want to pull their brand back from the brink of permanently |
| embarrassing: hire a decent copywriter. If their slogans contained even a | embarrassing: hire a decent copywriter. If their slogans contained even a |
| modicum of genuine wit, who knows, they might yet build themselves a half way | modicum of genuine wit, who knows, they might yet build themselves a half way |
| decent brand. | decent brand. |