This week’s Wrap takes a look at a few companies who have recently received criticism for not exercising more discretion in their branding efforts. Cynical attempts to piggyback off of a charitable cause and a misguided corporate logo capitalizing on industrial calamity have led some to question tastefulness of the respective campaigns.
Japan’s Fukushima Industries creates baffling mascot
Ragan’s PR Daily
A Japanese company that makes refrigerators recently unveiled a strange new mascot. With no regard for similarities between the names of their company and the nuclear power plant responsible for 2011’s horrific nuclear disaster and subsequent pan-Pacific contamination, ‘Fukuppy’ has been created. Startlingly poignant is the mascot’s name, which means ‘happy’ in Japanese but conjures a crass, phonetic interpretation when considered in American vernacular. This androgynous, quasi-mutated, anthropomorphic egg does nothing to quell plausible suspicion that it may have its origins within the confines of a waste containment zone and despite all this, the branding effort very well may resonate with the inscrutable Japanese public.
FX Sued Over FXX Logo by Exxon
The Wrap
Oil giant, Exxon contends that decades of investment into the signature interlocking X’s of their logo has been compromised. A new television network, comedy offshoot FXX, has incorporated similar interlocking X’s. Regardless of legal fallout, maybe Exxon should re-evaluate their marketing strategy if decades of brand cultivation have indeed been undermined by the adoption of a similar set of line segments in a non-industry competitor’s logo.
The NFL Flagged For ‘Pinkwashing’
Digiday
The NFL has successfully incorporated pink, as associated with breast cancer awareness, into their merchandising repertoire. However, startlingly little of the revenue generated from these ‘pink’ initiatives goes to cancer research, raising criticism from some. Is this cross-branding unethical?
Logos can grab attention but don’t tell a company’s Story. WordWrite concentrates on the deep themes of their clients’ businesses. Rather than ephemeral ads and character-logos, WordWrite develops a narrative to convey their clients’ relevance.
Logos can grab attention but don’t tell a company’s Story. WordWrite concentrates on the deep themes of their clients’ businesses. Rather than ephemeral ads and character-logos, WordWrite develops a narrative to convey their clients’ relevance. Click here to learn how WordWrite’s team of communication strategists can help your company develop more effective marketing procedures in the New Year.
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Joe Ducar is a public relations intern for WordWrite Communications.
