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I’m still not sure if using controversy to promote things is something that is worthwhile for a company. On the one hand, you’re leveraging outrage to promote your brand to the public and it’s working. Take the Urban Outfitters/Kent State fiasco from last week. It caused a lot of outrage, but it also got their name out there to a lot of people (like myself) who couldn’t have told you the difference between American Eagle Outfitters and Urban Outfitters. Also made me really wanted a bloody Kent State shirt.
The same can’t be said about this unfortunate bit of advertising from Dallas City Tours used on the side of their buses:
Now looking at it from a historical standpoint, you can see why they’d use it. It’s probably one of the more famous events in Dallas history and provides one of the main attractions in town, next to Tom Landry’s hat. It’s a big thing that did happen.
It’s just in pretty bad taste. It’s the 9/11 of the 60s! The only way it would be worse is if you use that Kennedy autopsy photo and paid a man to squirt blood out as you drove along. Wait, did I say worse? I meant better. Make it happen, just like that Itchy And Scratchy The Movie billboard.
Fox
(Via Twitter)