How I almost got fired from a job I loved... #MistakeDay2024

Let’s go back a few decades, to a much younger version of me. The version of me in my first true marketing job. I was employed as a Chartist at Seaboard Advertising in BC. A chartist's main job was determining which outdoor advertising would go on which specific location within the myriad of locations available within their market. It was here that I first encountered working with real brands on real campaigns – I loved it and dove in with all the vigour because I was executing real marketing! I’ve only worked here a few months when my ‘mistake’ happened. So let’s go to the day in question. I had worked on placing superboards for @Doritos – 百事 brand – so no small potatoes here. The campaign in question was about their new logo and the new package design for the tortilla chips. If memory serves they took up 7 of the 10 superboard locations in the city. Superboards are usually twice as big as a billboard in that they are 40 feet long versus a 20-foot billboard. It has a much bigger visual impact and is preferred by advertisers looking to make a statement. So, if you work in outdoor you get to know the location of every billboard, transit shelter, mall poster ad, etc across the province and you always do a visual check to see what is on the board, has it been graffitied – is the paper falling down – and just what is in the market at the time – as old campaigns should be covered up, etc. The funny thing is – if you work there long enough you will do this for the rest of your life – and for some reason, you can’t stop looking at them.

Let’s go back to the day in question, as I was driving to work down Hasting St. heading to Willingdon – where I would pivot to head to the office. En route is one of these superboards located in the back of a parking lot facing the street of a funeral home. It was the first time I had actually read the copy on the superboard. I was aghast and proceeded to race to the office to have it taken down immediately.? When I arrived at work I grabbed the walkie-talkie [yup, I am that old] and made an urgent request to speak with Bob. Bob was in charge of the bill posters and also would drive around in the truck putting up ads as well. Within a few minutes that felt like hours – Bob radioed back to me – and I made an urgent plea to have this superboard taken down immediately- Bob was most confused – saying to me that it had only gone up the day before. Why should we take it down? – he asked… So, I had to tell him why … and now will tell you too. In the firey graphic style that was all the rage in the early 90s was this vivid picture of the new Dorits’s bag with its new logo on it … and the copy… well the copy said in 5-foot letters “KISS THE OLD BAG GOODBYE” … Remember where I placed this ad… in the parking lot of a funeral home – you could not go here and not see this superboard. Right about now you are probably like Bob… laughing your ass off… I had to wait for him to stop laughing and finally breathe to make my urgent request for an emergency removal. I don't think I ever told my boss – maybe he will read it here today and he too will laugh, just as I do now and use it as a party joke.

But for the day in question – I’m not sure Doritos or Pepsi would have joined us in laughing at the obvious humour in it – or for that matter the funeral home in question wanting to greet the recently bereaved with such a sign. So, Seaboard stood to lose valuable advertiser[s], lose a superboard location which was grandfathered and not replaceable and have a Jimmy Pattison company [ PATTISON Outdoor ] getting publicity that they didn’t really want.

So the lesson here… it is just this – “This too shall pass.”? And of course, I never forgot to read the copy lines of the ads I placed in the city ever again. I survived and have one hell of a story that makes everyone laugh. I once even told it at a funeral home – went over quite well!

So, if you worked for Doritos in the 90s or at Seaboard Advertising and have a picture of this superboard copy - please send it to me - it will make us laugh a bit harder.

Happy Mistake Day! #MistakeDay2024

Doritos UK Doritos 百事