We’re back once again with five stories from the world of online marketing that you won’t want to slip past you! From social media hokey pokey to big brand blunders, we’ve got you covered.
1.) Hiatus Dismissed: After a very public dumping, GM has returned to Facebook and is now advertising on the site once again after a 12-month absence. Ever the trend setter when it comes to digital media, does GM see potential in Facebook ads that the rest of us are missing? Or is the big car company just covering its bases? Either way, it’s an interesting move.
2.) Bluth or Dare: The return of Arrested Development on Netflix is about to reach a fever pitch (at least among the show’s devoted fans), and this new teaser ad campaign should push it right over the top. Featuring inside jokes from the cult series (like grape juice, denim jorts and a banana), the series of posters is bound to have fans drooling.
3.) Big Mac Addiction: McDonald’s found itself issuing an apology for an advertisement which critics say poked fun at mental illness. The posters featured the words “You are not alone” along with the image of a woman in pain hiding her face. Below the photo was more copy about getting help for Big Mac addiction accompanied by McDonald’s corporate number. Needless to say, riders of Boston Mass Tranist, where the ads were displayed, were not amused; the company since has kiboshed the entire campaign.
4.) InApp-ropriate: A censored comic book, millions of ticked off fans and the iTunes App Store are all at the center of an interesting branding controversy currently brewing. The hubbub involving a tiny image in the popular comic book Saga depicting gay sex could change what we market and develop for smartphone applications. For its part, Apple says it isn’t budging on the censorship. “We view apps different than books or songs, which we do not curate. If you want to criticize a religion, write a book. If you want to describe sex, write a book or a song, or create a medical app. It can get complicated, but we have decided to not allow certain kinds of content in the App Store.”
5.) Phone Home: And closing out this week’s list is Facebook Home. The definitely-not-a-smartphone but not really an app thing Facebook released this week caused some to scratch their heads, but there’s no denying the online video creation for the product is very cool. Now, if we could only figure out what the heck it is…
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