Every weekday, PR Daily associate editor Alan Pearcy highlights the day’s most compelling stories and amusing marginalia on the Web in this, #TheDailySpin.
Most parents fret over the sexualization of America’s youth in today’s media. And for good reason—
just flip to TLC’s “Toddlers and Tiaras,” or look at almost any American Apparel print ad. In Great Britain, however, the government is confronting this issue. Recently, the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
admonished American Apparel for an ad it believes “inappropriately” sexualizes “a model who appears to be a child.” A spokesman for the clothing retailer contends that the model, who in the ad appears pantsless while curled up on an office chair wearing knee-highs and a sweater, was 23 when the photo was taken.
A controversial ad campaign is also being contested in Australia, where eatery Burger Urge is
mailing condoms packaged with the tagline, “Get intimate with our new premium beef.” Despite complaints, the restaurant has found humorous support on Facebook, where users have left comments such as: "Udderly ridiculous! People who take issue with this promotion should moove on." No word yet on the age of said premium beef.
Greg Benson of Mediocre Films enlisted the humorous support of his mom, who helped her son prank retail employees by
asking store staffers for asinine items on their Christmas shopping list.
As for what to buy the reader on your list, look no further than
The Daily Beast‘s “2012 Critics’ Top Books” list.
RELATED: 5 great books for writers in you life
The spirit of giving aside, it appears the holiday season has its new Ebenezer Scrooge—Ronald McDonald. The Golden Arches is reportedly
pushing franchisees to open on Christmas.
That’s OK—I’m celebrating Festivus this year anyway, and it appears I won’t be alone. Honoring the made-up “Seinfeld” holiday, Google rigged its search results so anyone
looking up “festivus” encounters a seasonal surprise on the left side of the results page. (via
Mashable)
RELATED: SEO for PR: 8 ways to deal with negative listings in search results
Meanwhile, Google also released a collection of amusing videos depicting
real life examples of bad Internet practices.
Speaking of bad practice, amid the
prayers and anguish that poured out over social media on Friday after reports surfaced of the tragic school shootings in Newton, Conn., Kmart landed in some hashtag hot water. The retailer, which was hosting a Twitter chat it called “#Fab15Toys” as news of the incident spread, ended the chat due to the circumstances, but not before it tweeted: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrible tragedy. #PrayforNewtown #CTShooting.” Unfortunately, it also included its promotional chat hashtag, The store defended its post in a message to
Gawker, as well as tweeting:
RELATED: Should brands stop pre-scheduling tweets—forever?
While less damaging than an ill-conceived tweet, too much corporate jargon can hurt your reputation around the office. To protect yourself, I’d suggest you study this list of marketing buzzwords that
AdPulp would love to see gone come 2013.
RELATED: The Year in Jargon: 2012
Font selection can also prove damaging, and not just to a brand. According to the
Langevin Learning Services blog, font use can make or break an otherwise solid presentation.
Is there something you think we should include in our next edition of #TheDailySpin? Tweet me @iquotesometimes with your suggestions. Thanks in advance.