Hails & Fails – April 22nd 2022
The sun is shining and brands responded with lots of reasons to be cheerful this week thanks to some ingenious PR campaigns. Barbie gave us a a jubilee doll fit for a queen, broadcaster TV 2 Denmark gave residents reason to think again about rising sea levels and Manchester restaurant Dishoom made their food all about the taste not calories. It was a terrible week for touring theatrical play The Family Sex Show, after outcry about its ‘inappropriate’ subject matter forced cancellations.
HAILS
Barbie launches Queen Doll for Jubilee
Barbie has always been a queen to many but now she is about to become real royalty, after announcing a Queen Elizabeth II Barbie doll in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee.
The Queen doll will sport an ivory gown, an adorned blue riband and a tiara as inspired by one of the monarch’s most iconic outfits.
The limited edition Barbie doll is made as a part of the toy brand’s Tributes Collection, which honours famous and historical figures. It will be complete with a tiara based on Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara – famously worn by The Queen on her wedding to Prince Philip – and miniature medallions inspired by the Royal Family Orders.
Sea levels get new wave of awareness in bench-mark campaign
Danish broadcasting company TV 2 Denmark launched the campaign ‘Our Earth – our responsibility,’ to show what city benches might look like in the face of the climate crisis and rising sea levels.
Ten benches in Copenhagen have been raised by 1 meter and set up in prominent areas of the city, with a copper plate on each bench reading:
“Flooding will become part of our everyday life unless we start doing something about our climate. According to the latest UN Climate Report sea-levels are expected
to rise with up to 1 meter before 2100 if the global warming continues.”
Lots of coverage and social praise for this thought-provoking campaign.
Dishoom focus on the dishes not the calories
While labelling calories on menus is now a legal requirement for many restaurant firms in the UK, the law change has been heavily criticised by eating disorder charities, restauranteurs, chefs and food critics.
Manchester restaurant Dishoom jumped to the rescue when one customer wanted a menu without the calorie detail this week.
A female customer asked the staff for a menu without the calories listed but was told that they didn’t have one – so one of her waiters took a pen and scribbled them all off for her.
The customer shared an image of the amended menu to Twitter, and praise for the restaurant was fast and widespread and picked up plenty of positive media coverage, too.
FAILS
The Family Sex Show cancels amid outrage
A sex education theatre show aimed at young children had to cancel its performances nationwide after a backlash.
The Family Sex Show was billed as “a fun and silly performance about the painfully awkward subject of sex” and was aimed at family audiences, with a warning that it contained nudity.
But its national tour sparked strong opposition – opponents argued that it was unsuitable for children – leading to a petition signed by more than 38,000 people who called for the show to be cancelled.
Organisers have now said they will not go ahead with the spring 2022 run of the show, which had been due to be performed at venues including Bristol’s Tobacco Factory and the Norfolk and Norwich Festival in May.
Want more information? Contact us here