UrBC, Yekaterinburg, December 7, 2010. ‘The clients who paid for an advertising campaign which features foxes are more likely to sustain losses than make a profit,’ Director of Public Relations Development & Modernization Institute Evgeny Potapov told UrBC.
In fact, the ad campaign in question, which was launched in Yekaterinburg recently, turned out to be an act of manipulation. It was reported in the media at the end of December that some foxes were spotted in downtown Yekaterinburg; this news was actually the beginning of an advertising campaign organized to promote ZAO Uralbroiler. As for the video clip with foxes running down the streets, it was all made up.
‘This is a last century’s kind of advertising solution. An obviously inaccurate newsmaker might attract the people’s attention for a moment, but what then? Supposing a poultry factory deceives its customers once, in an ad, these very customers will be waiting for some kind of a catch with the produce, too. Besides, given the popularity and accessibility of Internet communication (including all sorts of social networks), such manipulations can be very easily detected and disclosed as soon as they pop up. The times when the admen could tell lies to the public are over. Today’s public relations encourage honesty and transparency. So, these foxes will do Argayasha, the brand which was promoted, more harm than good,’ Potapov pointed out.
‘We have to give the journalists who spotted and disclosed the unscrupulous ad some credit, too,’ he added.