# Embracing Criticism in Ads Gossip Girl: Every Parent's Nightmare By mediterranean | Published 2008-07-22 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/embracing-criticism-gossip-girl References: [gawker](http://gawker.com/5026817/new-ad-campaign-flaunts-gossip-girls-bad-self) *A Nasty Piece of Work. Every Parent's Nightmare. Mind-Blowingly Inappropriate.* These are the captions the CW TV network has chosen in the new ad campaign for its popular teen show, Gossip Girl. The captions are taken from criticisms of the show by the likes of Parents Television Council, New York Post, and [Boston Herald](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/my-hero-academia-x-nba). Now why would the CW use these [negative comments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tumblr-campaign) in its own ad campaign? Because teenagers will more likely watch the show when they know they're not supposed to. Gossip Girl is back on September 1. This even tramps last season's OMFG campaign, which you can see in the trend below. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.7/10 - Popularity: 81% | Activity: 82% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 10% men, 90% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Media](https://www.trendhunter.com/media) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Embracing Criticism in Ads:** Using negative comments from critics in advertising campaigns to intrigue and attract viewers. - **Teen Show Marketing:** Creating ad campaigns for teen shows that appeal to the rebellious nature of teenagers. - **Shock Value Advertising:** Utilizing bold and controversial language in ad campaigns to generate buzz and curiosity. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Television:** TV networks using negative criticism in ad campaigns to promote their shows and attract viewers. - **Advertising:** Marketing agencies developing strategies to incorporate negative comments from critics into ad campaigns. - **Entertainment:** Teen show creators using unconventional marketing techniques to appeal to their target audience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Provocative Guerrilla Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mwcurated.md) - [Creative Ad Responses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kiehls-response.md) - [Cheeky Family-Friendly Swearing Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/youll-swear-by-them.md) - [Marketer-Targeted Cereal Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/out-of-home-campaign.md) - [High-Concept Brand Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/legitimate-you.md) - [Character-Driven Fashion Newsletters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-realgirl.md) - [Confident Fashion Rebranding Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/people-will-talk.md) - [Spoof Cosmetics Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/americas-next-top-primer.md) - [TV-Specific Pop Informants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tv-show-aficionados.md)