Threatening a goldfish to save the oceans
7th Jun 2011
In this Op-Ed for Ad Age, Cohn & Wolfe's Chief Creative Catalyst Jeremy Baka addresses the risks and rewards of shock marketing, inspired by Cohn & Wolfe's "Save Kai" campaign for pro-bono client Project Kaisei.
From the "I Love Boobies" campaign brought to you by Keep a Breast Foundation to the often graphic illustrations of rotting organs in antismoking ads, cause marketing has gone rogue in the battle for consumer attention. But is the shock approach truly effective in the nonprofit world?
Depends on how you define "effective."
Despite the "seen it all" attitude of many consumers today, it's still relatively easy to shock them. Push a polar bear off a skyscraper in the name of CO2 emissions and -- splat! -- instant awareness and recognition. But while souped-up shocking delivers the wow factor for many campaigns, it unfortunately often loses track of the why. Too much wow and not enough why leaves you with a multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ad that offends rather than connects with your target audience. In the nonprofit world, generating awareness via controversy only works if the attention you draw to your cause promotes positive change (and literal change, if donations are sought).
Click below to download a pdf of the full Ad Age article.
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