Poundland’s elf on the shelf ad campaign causes a stir
2017 saw a series of marketing campaigns from major brands that were criticised as intentionally or unintentionally ‘missing the mark’. Poundland is now the latest retailer to open itself up to criticism, taking a sledgehammer approach on its social media feeds in the build-up to Christmas.
Its risqué elf on the shelf photographs divided Twitter users yesterday, with Twinings Tea instantly disassociating itself when one image in particular featured the company’s product:
We are aware of an image that is circulating that misuses our product. This is to confirm that we had no involvement in this and that it is obviously not reflective of our brand values.</p>
— Twinings Tea (@TwiningsTeaUK) December 21, 2017
Whilst many found the images harmless and funny, others were disgusted and even threatened police action. But if Poundland’s latest tweet about it all being a ‘storm in a teacup’ is anything to go by, there could be more to come at 12:00pm today…
Whatever your opinion on the controversial images from Poundland’s Facebook page and Twitter feed, one thing is for certain: with just three days to go until Christmas, the budget high street retailer has managed to work its way into everybody’s minds as they look to bag a last minute bargain before 25th December.
What are your thoughts on Poundland’s controversial new ad campaign?
Daniel Jenkins ACIM 