Snickers advertising campaign fail
Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2025 4:48 am
Snickers Spain found itself in reputational hot water this year when it released a misguided video ad using one of the brand’s staple taglines ‘you’re not yourself when you’re hungry.’
There’s nothing wrong with the tagline itself (in fact, it’s a solid piece of copywriting), but the context in which it was used sparked droves of unwanted engagement.
The ad shows influencer Aless Gibaja transforming into what Snicker’s depicts as a ‘manly man’ after eating a Snickers bar. This homophobic narrative that suggests being efffeminate is bad lack data earned top-level negative publicity almost immediately after the campaign’s launch.
Even Spain's equality minister, Irene Montero, publically panned the ad with a Tweet that read:
"Our society is diverse and tolerant. Hopefully those who have the power to make decisions about what we see and hear in commercials and TV shows will learn to be too."
The lesson:
When political parties and figures are seen to criticize your marketing campaign, you’re likely to lose large segments of your target audience as well as existing brand advocates, even if you do issue a full and frank apology.
Before working with influencers, make sure that they are relevant to your niche or industry and work in close collaboration with them to ensure they’re comfortable with your messaging. Building strong influencer relationships is advised, as is steering clear of controversial ad ideas without any wit or substance—as it almost never ends well.
There’s nothing wrong with the tagline itself (in fact, it’s a solid piece of copywriting), but the context in which it was used sparked droves of unwanted engagement.
The ad shows influencer Aless Gibaja transforming into what Snicker’s depicts as a ‘manly man’ after eating a Snickers bar. This homophobic narrative that suggests being efffeminate is bad lack data earned top-level negative publicity almost immediately after the campaign’s launch.
Even Spain's equality minister, Irene Montero, publically panned the ad with a Tweet that read:
"Our society is diverse and tolerant. Hopefully those who have the power to make decisions about what we see and hear in commercials and TV shows will learn to be too."
The lesson:
When political parties and figures are seen to criticize your marketing campaign, you’re likely to lose large segments of your target audience as well as existing brand advocates, even if you do issue a full and frank apology.
Before working with influencers, make sure that they are relevant to your niche or industry and work in close collaboration with them to ensure they’re comfortable with your messaging. Building strong influencer relationships is advised, as is steering clear of controversial ad ideas without any wit or substance—as it almost never ends well.