Comments on: How to Make Things Even Worse (Post Mortem Edition)

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:15:49 +0000

One more post-script... this is just too funny: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/281jwoak.asp

By: Stephen Denny

Stephen Denny — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 01:40:53 +0000

Not finished yet, apparently: The Cartoon Channel CEO just got the axe. http://www.drudgereport.com/flash.htm

By: Stephen Denny

Stephen Denny — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 20:54:14 +0000

… as a tombstone on this case study, consider this:
Turner is now talking not about how many “hundreds of thousands” they’ll spend to make things right.
The tally is now at $2 million.

By: Dawud Miracle

Dawud Miracle — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 14:51:04 +0000

Who cares about Aqua Teen Yada Yada. Don’t you think that we’ve gotten way too paranoid with all this terrorism stuff? I know we need to protect our nation and its citizens, but my gosh, how about a little restraint and investigation before we make a cartoon into a national crisis.

By: Stephen Denny

Stephen Denny — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 22:20:55 +0000

All:
I don’t think Aqua Teen Whatever gained one additional viewer from this. And I’ll bet they lost more than a few potential advertisers. None of this rebounded to their credit, in my opinion.
I’m sure I said this somewhere, but none of this was even remotely interesting to me until I saw the press conference. That’s what set me off.
Kudo’s to Turner CEO for stepping up, though. (He must be a secret reader — just like Rupert!)

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 21:50:13 +0000

Anne — I know! Wasn’t that attorney interesting? Somewhere between embarrassed and frustrated, and pretending he wasn’t there. The thought bubble above his head should say, “Four years of law school for THIS?!”
Cam, CK, Vahe — Me, too. On all.
I was totally in sympathy for the artist-as-pawn/victim in this corporate game. But I agree with you, V…. they came off as childish and spoiled, with no values.

By: Vahe

Vahe — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 21:09:04 +0000

Ann, Cam: Yeah, wow.
I was in their corner–until those idiots opened their mouths. Had they shown even the slightest inkling of humility or said something–anything–based on principle (artistic license, creative freedom, constitutionally protected speech… heck, even anarchist ideology), I would still be with them.
They instead proved that they are merely spoiled, entitled children who do not grasp the concept of “consequences.”
Maybe some time in jail would give them perspective.

By: CK

CK — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 21:00:54 +0000

Cam, Ann & All: Didn’t that video just make you feel they were disrespecting us all? (not just the press). While not a Bostonian, I felt they were personally using their spotlight to mock us…and tank the profession. Remember, a lot of consumers will understand THAT performance = ALL marketers. We’re in a bubble and know the pros from the idiots…let’s remember consumers aren’t in that bubble and now have that piece to view–now and forever.
P.S.: Ann, this made me cringe and I have no affiliation with Turner (ha!)

By: Anne

Anne — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:45:42 +0000

Ann-
and what about the attorney? how clueless was he?
i was glad to see that turner stepped up with the ad in the boston globe and is having discussions about restitution. i can’t believe that the panic in boston was deliberate, but, deliberate or not, panic ensued and they need to take responsibility.
great article, stephen. love the approach of the note to the cmo here and on your blog.

By: Cam Beck

Cam Beck — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 19:32:23 +0000

Ann -
Wow.

By: CK

CK — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 18:44:35 +0000

In regards to Matt’s comments above regarding exposure — he’s right. But at what price to the entire profession and to the wrong audience? Aqua Teen is not, from what I understand, a mass product–like Pepsi or Snickers. It has a passionate niche fan base and may have increased that fan base’s size but at the cost of upsetting and inconveniencing an entire city?
My concern is just how bad marketers look to consumers now. We don’t need a worse rep. But hey, they’ll sell more tix.
I see marketers–being that our products are exposed to the masses–as being responsible to build better brands, responsible programs and contribute to the industry. Perhaps that’s naive; but I’m sticking to it and working for my clients to do the same.
I’m just amazed that marketers see this as a “brilliant” move (that’s some of the feedback around the ’sphere). I see it as short-term gain for exposure, long-term harm for the profession.

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 17:22:19 +0000

Here’s another takeaway for the client: be careful who you hire to represent your brand. Watching Beevis and Butthead’s performance art “press conference” would have made me cringe if I were Turner. Not cool. Not ballsy. In fact, not smart in any sense. Just plenty stupid.
In case anyone missed it, here’s what I am referring to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJkTNJ7BM9I

By: Matt Antonino

Matt Antonino — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 17:12:58 +0000

But seriously – had you ever heard of Aqua Teen? Now you blogged about it for the whole blogosphere to see. Whatever they did, it worked for brand name recognition and awareness. Millions of people know them that didn’t – that’s a good thing when your movie is coming out.

By: Cam Beck

Cam Beck — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 16:16:56 +0000

“Turner, belatedly, is now talking about how many hundreds of thousands of dollars they’re going to hand over and what damange control they can do. A bit late, but the right move.”
True, and it’s the ONLY move they could have made that had the capacity to make the issue go away. Nice to see they at least noticed that.