How far can you push a traditional brand? And how far is too far?
Kraft Mac & Cheese's tongue-in-cheek "Send Noods" campaign seems it could become a frequently referenced case study.
Created by recently launched agency Mischief, co-founded by former BBDO New York CCO Greg Hahn, the campaign celebrated National Noodle Day by offering to let fans "send noods" (but not nudes) to friends and loved ones.
Personally I found it amusing and just winking enough to get attention without being insensitive, and while response was mixed in my social media feeds, generally marketers seemed to celebrate it for nudging a conservative brand in a lighthearted direction.
But apparently there was also enough backlash to warrant a pretty dramatic response from the brand: we learned yesterday Kraft has removed all mentions of the "Send Noods" campaign from its social channels.
While generally speaking positively about the campaign and its results, both to its followers and to Adweek, the brand admitted that it had received enough negative feedback to erase the campaign's mentions from its feeds:
"We sincerely appreciate and hear all of your feedback. The content will be removed from our channels.”
So what happened here? Did Kraft and Mischief really "sexualize" macaroni? Or was this, as some have claimed, an organized effort by conspiracy-minded to link the brand to supposed "deep state" forces aimed at harming children?
My hunch is a bit more simple: When kids are involved, either in the work or as a target consumer base, things can get weird fast.
I'm reminded of Audi's recent apology for a brand photo posted to social media that showed a child eating a banana and leaning against the front of a car. Seemingly innocuous, the photo generated a wave of negative replies, mostly taking issue with the idea of showing a child in front of a car (even if clearly parked).
The moral of these two situations? While yes, everyone agrees brands need to be willing to take some risks and endure a certain level of anticipated negativity, if kids are involved in any way as either the subjects or one of the target audiences—tread lightly.
What's your take on the "Send Noods" kerfuffle? Let me know at the email below or at @Griner on Twitter.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
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