When Marketing Goes Wrong - Bus Print ads edition
Surely marketing your brand on the back of the bus is a thing of the past!? Channel 4’s Naked Attraction is probably wishing they stuck with an overall cheaper, more effective medium of marketing such as Social Media after their most recent campaign went wrong. We understand print ads are often meant to make the viewer do a double-take, however, Channel 4 seem to have overstepped the mark as Twitter Users had a lot to say about the campaign.
https://twitter.com/tkingdot/status/1432300760822333443
What the hell is this creepy bus ad? You can’t just label non-consenting passengers like that. Does @Channel4 not know how many sexual assaults take place on buses? pic.twitter.com/SQQoYUmFqv
— Tracy King (@tkingdot) August 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/GinnyLDN/status/1432730235489947659
This insane ad is literally inviting even more harassment on London's night buses and making them less safe for women. Please explain yourselves @global @channel4, @tfl https://t.co/Y4p7wkOWIv
— Ginny Hendricks (@GinnyLDN) August 31, 2021
Intended to market the new series of the daring reality tv show Naked Attraction, the bus ads have caused a stir. Many described the campaign involving unsuspecting bus passengers as tasteless. The advert (pictured below) includes arrows pointing to random seats on the top deck of the bus and ridicules each innocent commuter either “Loves Naked Attraction," "Hates Naked Attraction," or "Loves being naked".
Writer Tracy King was one of the first to distribute the ad on Twitter and share her views - "I’d like to know what sort of person thinks bus users are disposable fodder for advertising purposes, anonymous silhouettes with no agency or value beyond ‘lol we stuck a sign on their back implying they’re horny’".
https://twitter.com/YourTinyHuman/status/1432325215107825669
If you’ve ever been on a bus you’ll know that the top level, especially the front, is where children like to sit. Seriously @Channel4 what exactly is the culture of your marketing team? https://t.co/8aEpCRzDwx
— Your Tiny Human (@YourTinyHuman) August 30, 2021
Unsurprisingly, the Naked Attraction adverts are already being taken down from the sides of busses. Transport for London said in a recent statement: "We have reviewed the ad campaign and decided that it should not continue to run on our bus network. It will be removed as soon as practicable."
Channel 4 also apologised: "This ad is based on a Channel 4 entertainment programme. It was not our intention to cause offence and we apologise if it has done so." While print adverts are usually created to get people talking, Channel 4 didn’t quite think this one through.
Let’s keep Bus adverts in the dark ages and focus on the power of Social Media Marketing instead. Less controversy and no money wasted from a failed campaign.
Interested in marketing your business on Social Media with an eye-catching campaign? Contact us at Gather Social, we can support your business with their Social Media Marketing. Read another blog by clicking here.
