Last week we blogged on Pepsi’s departure from the rather staid world of high viz TV and print advertising in dumping agency BBDO. The brand, however, couldn’t have had a quicker baptism in the modern twitterverse than the backlash from it’s rather ill-thought out suicide themed advertisements (death of a calorie). Okay, kids may love it but parents push the buttons and selling “suicide” is walking on egg shells in a minefield balanced on a razorblade (you get my drift).

This could go two ways. If the global swarm of PR negativity turns against Pepsi, they could end up drinking from a firehose of communication they will be unable to control as we saw with the unfortunate Motrin. Pepsi have made a few enemies with their recent media planning choices so they will find the daggers drawn ready to payback unfinished business.

As the old addage goes, you fight fire with fire. You preempty its spread by razing the ground ahead of its impending advance. Preemptive PR is essential and involves a dose of humble pie some execs find hard to swallow.

EA got it spot on with their response to the Jesus Shot glitch in Tiger Woods 2008 – don’t activate marcomms on a coverup mission. JetBlue also managed to stem the chill winds of dissent by their CEO facing the music with candour on Youtube. Pepsi also seem to be stepping up to the plate albeit from the grass roots as opposed to a corporate initiated directive. Here’s  their social media director Bough Bonin addressing the public directly in response to the advertising campaign. Props to him, takes a brave man to stick their head above the parapet in a corporate world where it’s all too easy to hide behind marcomms.

What do you think? Do you think this is the right response to an advertising faux part?

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