# Inappropriately Mispronounced Ads The Cockburn's Port Campaign Pokes Fun at Itself By Meghan Young | Published 2012-01-08 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cockburn-s-port-campaign References: [ibelieveinadv](http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/2012/01/cockburns-pixelated-torn-paper-port-glass/) & [betc](http://betc.co.uk/) The Cockburn's Port campaign takes a playful and provocative approach to re-introduce this company to the British public. Despite its spelling, Cockburn's is actually pronounced 'Co-burns.' Unfortunately, many people mispronounce it on a daily basis. London-based ad agency BETC has decided to try to capitalize on this unfavorable albeit funny predicament by creating a subtly shocking ad campaign for the company. Headed by creative director Neil Dawson, the Cockburn's Port campaign focuses on the company's name while cleverly covering the silent 'ck' with a glass of wine, torn paper and censor patch. Paired with the tag line, "Pronounce responsibly," the Cockburn's Port campaign pokes fun at itself while also educating its potential customers about the real way to pronounce its name. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 52% | Activity: 56% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Print](https://www.trendhunter.com/print) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Brand Playfulness:** Embracing a playful and provocative approach in advertising campaigns creates memorable experiences for consumers. - **Interactive Branding:** Using clever visual techniques to engage and educate customers can effectively communicate important brand messages. - **Self-aware Marketing:** Capitalizing on unique, misunderstood aspects of a brand can create humorous and relatable marketing campaigns. ### Who This Affects Most - **Advertising:** Ad agencies can leverage brand playfulness and interactive branding techniques to develop engaging campaigns for their clients. - **Wine & Spirits:** Brands in the wine and spirits industry can adopt self-aware marketing strategies to address mispronunciations or misconceptions in a lighthearted way. - **Consumer Education:** Companies focused on consumer education can explore innovative approaches, like the Cockburn's Port campaign, to educate customers about unique aspects of their brand. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [No-Nonsense Grooming Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rock-face-makes-scents-campaign.md) - [Curious Whiskey Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dont-mention-it.md) - [Autocorrect Sexual Health Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mrm-ny.md) - [Humorous Juice Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ribena-chin-up-campaign.md) - [Provocative Tequila Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/censored-truth.md) - [Cheeky Projection Tea Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/typhoo-oo-please-campaign.md) - [Cheeky Pizza Pronounciation Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/canadian-origins.md) - [Cheeky Family-Friendly Swearing Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/youll-swear-by-them.md) - [Creative Ad Responses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kiehls-response.md)