Belvedere Vodka's "going down smoothly"
I like humor. I like dirty jokes. But there's a time and a place for appropriateness, and Belvedere didn't get the memo. Belvedere Vodka launched a Facebook and Twitter ad that pretty much screamed poor taste.
Clearly, this "rape-promoting" Facebook and Twitter ad did not go over very well with the brand's following. Even the actress in the advertisement filed a lawsuit against the brand. Shortly after the firestorm of comments and tweets hit, Belvedere pulled the ad and issued an apology:
Belvedere senior vice president of global marketing, Jason Lundy, issued a more comprehensive follow-up apology, which read, "As an expression of our deep disappointment and regret, we are making a charitable donation to a women's support cause." Belvedere did, in fact, make a donation to RAINN (the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network), but it makes us all think, "Where were their heads in the initial brainstorming phase of this ad creation?"
Participation in social media certainly comes with its fair share of risks, but the relationships you can build with these tools are worth it. Just remember, the age-old saying even speaks true for social media: "Think before you speak." Or tweet or post, of course.
Lauren Friedman is the manager of community engagement at Adobe.
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"Young woman in sad ecological paper bag on head" image via Shuttertock.
