Some people say 13 is an unlucky number, but we’re not that superstitious. In fact, quite a few incredible things occurred in 2013, including several companies and brands that were lucky enough to hit a homerun with their marketing efforts. But this post isn’t about the lucky ones. Instead, we pass over the good AND the bad to highlight the downright ugly, bizarre and straight-up “WTH” marketing occurrences and stunts from this year. We really aren’t sure if 13 is an unlucky number for these folks, or if it may actually work out in their favor. Let’s countdown the weird marketing stunts that left us all shaking our heads in confusion this year.
10. Time Warner’s War With CBS
If you live in New York, Los Angeles or with us in Dallas, you experienced the epic childish fit that occurred during the fee negotiations between Time Warner Cable and CBS. The result was very bad for Time Warner: 3 million cable subscribers lost access to the network for a month until an agreement was reached. TWC lost a lot of business as a result of their tantrum. Where was their PR team through these whiny escapades?
We were all like…
GIVE US BACK MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
A hero and role model for children and athletes everywhere, Lance Armstrong was more than just a cyclist: he was a brand. The Livestrong Brand and Foundation made us believe that we can still accomplish our dreams despite a diagnosis like cancer – but this year it all came crashing down when Lance not only admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs all throughout his career, but he says he’d do it again.
We were all like…
Thirteen is not a lucky number for mobile platform Blackberry. The company has been struggling to overcome its competition for some time, and this year they got… desperate. They posted this message on their website which sounds a little like a drunk text you may get from your ex at 3 a.m. But we feel for Blackberry, really. What else could they have done?
We were all like…
Paula Deen demonstrated that it doesn’t matter how famous or loved you are – words cut like a knife. In this case, Deen’s words cut right into her brand image and company’s bottom line. But just when it looked like everything was going to be okay, Deen went on the Today Show with an interview that sent her back into the limelight. Her PR team appeared absent and her reputation took a major blow, creating quite a marketing nightmare for her team to recover from.
She was all like…
6. BitCoin Funds Illegal Drugs & Murder for Hire
Here’s something scary to chew on: Anonymous e-currency BitCoin has been around for a few years, but it only became widely known this year when the FBI shut down part of the cyber underworld it is helping to fund, including the “Amazon for Illegal Drugs.” Unfortunately for BitCoin and their efforts to market themselves, there is still a site out there marketing “assassinations for hire” using the currency. No joke – this exists and people are using this virtual, untraceable currency to market shady products. YIKES!
We’re all like…
5. New Social Media Site Tinder
There’s a new dating app and social networking site on the rise – and it makes us fearful for the future. Basically, Tinder helps people hook up. You connect with people that are geographically near you through the app and you and message them if you think they’re attractive. The app then allows you to coordinate a place to meet. No word on whether there is a marketing opportunity here – but dating sites and apps are on the rise and we would be remiss if we didn’t consider there to be advertising potential just as there could be currently with match.com and similar sites. If you have a daughter… well better check her phone apps.
We’re just like…
4. Facebook Got Rejected by Snapchat and the Internet Loved It
Founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg has some rivals moving in on his turf. As Facebook continuously gets deemed “uncool” by the younger crowd, he must be experiencing some anxiety. The Zuck made up-and-comer Snapchat an offer they couldn’t refuse: $3 Billion. But OH SNAP. Snapchat rejected the offer. Never before has a start-up that has never generated any revenue been so bold. Smart marketing decision? Debatable. Our minds were blown.
We were all like…
3. Amazon Delivery Drones: Are We Ready?
Amazon has a brilliant idea: they want to use self-guided drones to deliver online orders and packages to us within an hour. The technology certainly exists to make this happen – but are we ready for it yet? Unfortunately Amazon’s futuristic thinking may be just a little too far ahead for the rest of us.
We’re all like…
2. Thanksgiving Becomes the New Black Friday
Black Friday has always been a marketing gold mine for many retailers – but has it gone too far? This year stores opened even earlier on Thanksgiving Day, moving the crazed mobs ahead of schedule creating the “gray Thursday” effect. Is this great news for marketers and annual revenue gains for retailers, or is this actually going to be a bigger mess than it’s worth?
We’re all like…
1. Miley Cyrus and the Twerk Heard Around the World
Nothing made our jaws drop more and think “WTH” than Miley Cyrus did in 2013. There are no words for the train wreck of performances this singer gave us this year, and she practically broke the internet after the VMAs. The most fascinating thing about it all is that it’s debatable whether what Miley is doing is “working” for her. No matter what side of the fence you are on, you have to admit that Miley has managed to re-brand herself from a Disney Sweetheart to… whatever she is… quite successfully in a short amount of time. She’s in the headlines non-stop, so perhaps the biggest WTH of all is that it’s WORKING. In fact, Miley was considered for TIME’s person of the year. No joke.
We’re all like…
Then we were like…
The Smiths are all like…
T-Swift and Selener were all like…
Everyone watching at home was all like…
And Miley is just all like…
Come back to us Miley!
