Hails & Fails – November 26th 2021
While many headlines have been devoted to unexpected Parliamentary Peppa Pig references and Black Friday madness, there’s still been room for some fantastic PR campaigns this week. Cosmetics firm Lush has won admirers everywhere after pulling many of its social media accounts to force a responsibility rethink, The National Trust won column inches by encouraging tree giving instead of flower bouquets and sacked Man Utd manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was honoured at Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester. It wasn’t such a great week for M&S after shoppers were outraged at a premium charge for beans on toast.
HAILS
Lush to crush social media until it's 'safer'
Cosmetics firm Lush is deactivating some of its social media accounts until the platforms “take action to provide a safer environment” for users.
The company will suspend its Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat pages across all 48 countries it operates in.
However, it will continue to operate on Twitter and YouTube “for now”, as it looks to “build better channels of communication elsewhere”.
Lush said the “serious effects” of social media were barely being acknowledged and highlighted algorithms that kept showing content that had a potential to impact mental health by exacerbating unhealthy thoughts. Tonnes of positive headlines as a result.
National Trust launches drive to improve tree literacy
Trees instead of flowers could be the new gift of love, according to new research from The National Trust.
The conservation charity has encouraged the giving of a tree rather than a bouquet of flowers and revealed more than one in 10 had already done so.
Because just 7% of people in the UK know the best time of year to plant a tree, the charity is launching a drive to improve “tree literacy”.
The research released before the Tree Council’s national tree week, which starts this weekend, found that 49% of UK adults would consider planting a tree to help the environment, while 35% would think about giving a gift of a tree rather than flowers, with 12% already having done so. Great hits nationwide too.
Ole’s Gunnar love this
Sacked Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been immortalised in brick at Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester.
After Manchester United decided to le-go of Ole, Brazen client Legoland Discovery Centre created a miniature Solskjaer leaving the Miniland Old Trafford stadium.
The Ole mini figure left mini Old Trafford with a disappointed look on his face but Legoland Discovery Centre say they wish the Manchester United legend all the best with his future. Loads of coverage including The Sun, The Times, I Love Manchester and loads more.
FAILS
M&S grilled over £5 beans on toast
“This isn’t just a rip-off. This is an M&S rip-off” said one commentator after M&S revealed an eye-watering £5 charge for its new posh beans on toast Christmas ready meal.
Called ‘Posh cheesy beans on toast’, the snack features brioche bread with haricot beans in a tomato sauce with creamy Barber’s mature cheese melt and finished with Barber’s mature cheddar cheese.
Shoppers have taken to Twitter to ridicule the inflated £5 price. Unfortunately for M&S, it’s received loads of media attention too.
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