Wacko Commentators Get Ad Yanked
After reading a tweet by RebelliousArabGirl (a London, Ontario blogger), I tracked down this story which I think deserves some attention.
Apparently, some “conservative commentators became enraged” by a Dunkin’ Donuts advertisement in which a celebrity is wearing “a scarf that resembles a keffiyeh — a traditional headdress worn by Arab men.”
I tracked down one example here: ‘Rachael Ray, Dunkin Donuts Jihad Tool’
There may be more, but I don’t need to see them. One is enough.
That’s not the story though. For me, the story is the way that the donut chain reacted to the criticism. You can get that here: ‘Ray Is Latest Celeb Accused of Ara-fashion’
Do you agree with the way that Dunkin’ Donuts capitulated? Do you think that the criticism was justified? Could a similar situation ever happen here in Canada?
© Fowler Media
They should have stuck with it. Their main markets are in urban centers, and any sort of negative PR wouldn’t have much effect there.
I don’t believe that this ad or any other ad for that matter (motrin etc.) should be yanked just because there is a group out there that is offended by it. If this were the way to handle all advertisements and marketing in the world than we wouldn’t have any at all.
Perhaps if it were taking a direct, blatant and “belligerent” shot at any one person or group the criticism, comments and action would have been warranted, however, in this case as well as many others I believe that once again people have more than overreacted.
Dunkin Donuts did the smart thing. They are a business and any smart businessman will tell you that negative controversy is not your friend. While I personally would have preferred them to tell the Malkinesque flying monkey brigade to get bent, I can’t blame them for not doing so. That job was the responsibility of the political left and they, as usual, sat on their hands.
Except by caving they’ve created more negative PR then if they had just ignored them.