X’s rebrand is also a cautionary tale that, sometimes, a facelift can do more damage than good. According to Brand Finance, the relaunch wiped out an estimated $4 billion worth of brand value that was once associated with the pervasiveness of the Twitter brand.
3. Zara’s ‘Insensitive’ Ad Campaign
What happened?
Spanish fashion brand Zara is well known for its quirky fashion photography. Think: models standing at the stove in lime green high heels or inexplicably holding a computer chair while showcasing a jacket.
However, in November the retailer was accused of being tone-deaf by critics after it released a campaign featuring mannequins with missing limbs, wrapped in white sheets, surrounded by rubble.
Some commentators likened the photos to the media images coming out of Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed and thousands of others wounded following Israeli airstrikes.
Zara’s Instagram account saw tens of thousands of comments posted about the photos, many with Palestinian flags, while “#BoycottZara” was trending on X.
Within a few days, Zara removed the campaign and issued a statement. It said the photos were conceived in July (prior to the current Israel-Palestine war), shot in September, and inspired by men’s tailoring from past centuries.
“Unfortunately, some customers felt offended by these images, which have now been removed, and saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created,” the statement concluded. “Zara regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect toward everyone.”
Lesson learned:
As Bud learned with its Mulvaney backlash, what’s happening online can quickly have a material impact.
Media intelligence firm Carma reported a sharp decline in Zara’s brand sentiment in the days after the social media furore. Negativity surged to 76.4%, while positivity dwindled to 4.2%. Prior to the incident, these sentiments stood at 31.6%, and 13.6%, respectively.
Another lesson: Forward planning is good, but it’s up to the marketing, design and art teams to double and triple check campaign imagery before it goes live for any topical sensitivities.
British retailer Marks & Spencer also found this out the hard way with its Christmas campaign, also filmed in summer, which faced criticism for an Instagram post showing Christmas party hats in the colors of the Palestinian flag on fire.
