Truth Matters and Kraft's #LieLikeAParent Campaign is not OK.

I don't go after bad PR often (enough) but this one is so offensive I need to call it out as a lesson in bad PR. Students, alumni and PR professionals take notes: do not do this! The @KraftBrand #LieLikeAParent campaign is beyond the pale.

It's offensive, shameful, and quite frankly lazy PR. We teach our students to create campaigns relevant to popular culture and trends but to jump on the alternative fact bandwagon and build a campaign around lying and #fakenews is tone-deaf and low.

As a parent, as a PR professional and as a PR educator @CentennialEDU, this is not what our industry is about. At a time when trust is at an all time low, we need to be better and educate rather than go for the cheap 'buzz'.

I'm proud that we teach our students about trust and ethics from Day one. About our role in 'serving the public interest' (@CPRSNational definition of PR). And @KraftBrand this is NOT in the public interest.

And if you think 'there is no such thing as bad PR', I call B.S. You offend your demographic, you're out. Out of my grocery cart.

When I told my 11 year old about "salad frosting" he was seriously grossed out. He hates fish, but we don't lie to get him to eat it, which he does. We cook it with flavour. We talk about nutrition. We involve him in cooking. Even kids see this for what it is: a bad idea.

I also want to add that this appears to be a U.S. campaign, indicative of U.S. culture right now. Ugh. But @nationalpost reported it and it's out there and it still needs called out.

If there is one positive aspect for this, it's that it is limited edition. I suspect that decision was part of their risk management strategy. Know what? Your instincts were right. This campaign stinks and the you were hoodwinked by your marketing team. Kraft, end this insanity, and aim higher, be better. How can we trust your brand when you don't trust your customer? When you pedal deceit, how can we trust you as a brand to have our best interests at heart? Your values do not align: consumers are smarter, and quite frankly, so are kids.

This is not clever, it's crass. Get it off the shelves and apologize for this marketing blunder and #prfail. And unlike you, I am not sugar-coating the truth.