Nike
Oscar Pistorius, a para-olympian, was featured in a Nike commercial with the slogan, "I am the bullet in the chamber." This is the same Olympian who was accused of murder with a firearm later on.
Issue:
Some marketing blunders are simply unavoidable. All the corporation had to do was issue a few news releases and withdraw their sponsorship.
Lesson:
When companies endorse individuals, they incur a risk, and their faults can easily reflect on the company. However, there is nothing that can be done.
Adidas
Three individuals were killed in a terrible incident at the Boston marathon in 2013, when a bomb was detonated at the finish line, killing three people. Adidas, on the other hand, did not react to the situation and forgot to alter their outgoing email to individuals that took part. "Congratulations, you survived the Boston Marathon!" read the subject line of the email.
Issue:
As you can anticipate, many people were offended by the email, and Adidas was chastised for being "insensitive." In response, Adidas issued the following statement.
Lesson:
Keep a close eye on marketing campaigns. It's critical to have a crisis plan in place in case something like this happens.
Wee Wii
In 2007, a California radio station launched a contest called "Hold Your Wee for a Wii," in which the winner received a Nintendo Wii console for drinking the most water without using the restroom. It turns out that drinking too much water can be harmful. Jennifer Strange, 28, died from water intoxication as a result of the competition.
Issue:
Suddenly, an ill-conceived public relations gimmick turned into a tragedy that cost the radio stations millions of dollars in lawsuit losses.
Lesson:
There is no such thing as bad press. But before you do something solely for the sake of notoriety, give it some thought. It's not worth putting someone else's life or well-being in peril.
PSP
Sony celebrated the release of their new white PSP device with big billboards that were a huge error in a notably botched advertising effort in 2006.
Issue:
Many people interpreted the billboard's concept of a white woman subduing a black woman as racist, as it represented the new white PSP model's power over the older black portable system. While Sony did not intend for the ad campaign to be racist, the fact that it offended so many people speaks for itself.
Lesson:
Consider putting advertisements through a more thorough examination.