Viral ads are often dismissed as being spoofs, but that's what some companies want you to believe. A number of high profile companies have launched sexy or controvercial ads that they know will reinforce their brand image and get them millions of dollars in free advertising. Is the VW ad real or spoof? Unfortunately for all you scandal lovers, it's a spoof.
"Volkswagen is to take legal action against the mystery duo who made the controversial suicide bomber short film that apparently shows an Arab blowing himself up in a Polo car.
After a week of prevarication, the car giant has decided to go ahead and sue the people behind the advert on the grounds that it was damaging its reputation around the world and falsely linked the VW with terrorism.
"We are taking legal action but because it's early stages we cannot comment further," a Volkswagen spokesman said.
But the company privately admitted that it cannot locate Lee and Dan, the London based advertising creative partnership who dreamed up the film, which has been seen around the world via the internet. " - Guardian
Or maybe this is all just part of the program...
Viral Ads
VW Suicide Bomber is Viral Ad of the Year
Trend Themes
1. Controversial Ads - Companies are increasingly launching controversial ads that reinforce their brand image and get them millions of dollars in free advertising, signaling disruptive innovation opportunities for PR and marketing agencies.
2. Spoof Ads - As companies produce more spoof ads that blur the boundaries between fact and fiction, content creation platforms and media outlets can offer disruptive innovation opportunities to fact-check or provide clever commentary around them.
3. Legal Liability - As companies face legal ramifications from controversial ads, AI-powered brand reputation management tools can help identify risky content and mitigate legal risks, creating disruptive innovation opportunities in the legal tech industry.
Industry Implications
1. PR & Advertising - The rise of controversial ads demands disruptive innovation from PR and advertising agencies to create viral campaigns that reinforce brand image, engage audiences, and mitigate legal risks.
2. Media & Entertainment - The popularity of spoof ads and blurred boundaries between fact and fiction demands disruptive innovation from media and entertainment companies to offer fact-checking, commentary, and parody content that engages audiences and reflects on cultural values.
3. Legal Tech - The legal liability of controversial ads demands disruptive innovation from legal tech companies to develop AI-powered brand reputation management tools that identify risky content, offer risk mitigation strategies, and monitor brand sentiment in real-time.