What are some innovative Public Relations campaigns that have failed?

1 The Pepsi Protest

In 2017, Pepsi released an ad featuring Kendall Jenner joining a protest and handing a can of Pepsi to a police officer, as a gesture of peace and unity. The ad was meant to show Pepsi's support for social justice movements and appeal to the younger generation. However, the ad was widely criticized for trivializing the serious issues of racism, police brutality, and civil rights, and for exploiting the imagery of real protests, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. Pepsi apologized and pulled the ad, but not before it sparked a lot of backlash and mockery on social media.

2 The BP Oil Spill

In 2010, a massive oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, caused by an explosion on a BP-operated rig. The spill was one of the worst environmental disasters in history, affecting millions of people and animals. BP faced a huge Public Relations challenge, as it had to deal with the legal, financial, and reputational consequences of the spill. BP tried to use various innovative strategies to restore its image, such as creating a website dedicated to the spill response, launching a social media campaign with the hashtag #bpcares, and airing TV ads featuring BP's CEO apologizing and promising to make things right. However, these efforts backfired, as they were seen as insincere, self-serving, and tone-deaf, and as attempts to divert attention from the actual damage and responsibility.

4 The Peloton Ad

In 2019, Peloton, a company that sells high-end exercise bikes and online fitness classes, released an ad featuring a woman who received a Peloton bike as a gift from her husband, and documented her fitness journey over a year. The ad was intended to showcase the benefits and features of the Peloton product, and to inspire and motivate potential customers. However, the ad received a lot of negative feedback, as it was perceived as sexist, elitist, and unrealistic. The ad was accused of implying that the woman needed to lose weight, that her husband was controlling and insensitive, and that the Peloton bike was a luxury item that only affluent people could afford. The ad also sparked a lot of parodies and memes on social media, making fun of the woman's facial expressions, the husband's motives, and the overall tone of the ad.

5 The Kendall Jenner Vogue Cover

In 2016, Kendall Jenner appeared on the cover of Vogue's September issue, which is considered the most important and influential issue of the year. The cover was meant to celebrate Jenner's success as a model and a social media star, and to appeal to the younger and more diverse audience of Vogue. However, the cover was met with a lot of criticism, as it was seen as a snub to other more deserving and diverse models, and as a sign of Vogue's lack of creativity and relevance. The cover was also accused of appropriating and whitewashing the culture and style of black women, as Jenner wore an Afro hairstyle and posed with a group of dancers. The cover was widely panned and ridiculed on social media, and prompted a backlash from the fashion industry and the public.