Hello AMAzing readers! Marketing is an extremely powerful tool. The right campaign can make you fall in love with a brand or buy a product you don’t need. However, marketing can also have its mess-ups. Looking back at marketing failures allows you to learn before making your own campaign nightmare.  

1. Pepsi Tries to Solve World Peace… with Soda? 

The campaign: In 2017, Pepsi released a now-infamous ad starring Kendall Jenner, where she ends a protest by handing a police officer a can of Pepsi. Viewers were not pleased.  

The ad minimized real social justice movements and protests, making it seem like a can of soda will solve all systemic issues. It came across as tone-deaf. This commercial showed that authenticity is key in shaping your brand and keeping consistent and real messages with your audience.  

2. Kraft Singles: The “Real” Food Award.  

Kraft tried to boost their individually packaged slices of cheese by launching a campaign to be labeled as “Real Food” by the Kids Eat Right Foundation.  

Turns out, legally, it cannot be classified as cheese because it contains less than 51% cheese, and Kraft funded the group behind the award. The public was not happy with Kraft’s inability to be transparent. Today, consumers are extremely smart and have many resources that allow them to be aware of what goes on in a company. Transparency is extremely important in creating a good campaign.  

3. McDonald’s #McDStories 

McDonald’s created the hashtag #McDStories hoping people would share nice memories of Happy Meals and families enjoying their fries.  

Twitter users used the hashtag not to share happy memories but horrible ones. Stories of food poisoning, sketchy employees, and gross experiences. This, of course, was not the response that McDonald’s was looking for. Brands need to be quick-thinking and plan for any and every outcome that could possibly come out of the campaign, especially with user-generated content. Social media is extremely unpredictable, and users are not afraid to share what’s on their minds.  

4. Calvin Klein’s #MyCalvins 

Calvin Klein once ran a campaign featuring a photo of a model from under her skirt with the text “I flash in #mycalvins” as part of their “raw, real, and unfiltered” vibe.  

The campaign was slammed with negative feedback from consumers, who said that the image glamorized sexual harassment by normalizing looking up a woman’s skirt. There is a fine line between pushing boundaries and making people feel uncomfortable. Edgy does not mean exploitative. Companies and brands must consider how a message can be interpreted and received versus how you intended it to be.  

Marketing has the power to influence culture, behavior, and buying decisions. With these major responsibilities, it is important to be authentic, not fake social awareness, and have diverse voices in the room.