When Oil Companies Crowdsource [UPDATED]
UPDATE: Apparently, this was all a brilliant hoax put on by environmental group Greenpeace. I ain’t even mad.
With credulous disregard of how most people feel about oil companies, the marketing geniuses at Shell decided to outsource their new Arctic Ready campaign to the Internet masses, and the trolls gladly accepted the challenge.
Shell’s contest features an add generator where users can caption photos to show how “Arctic energy production will transform the world and possibly provide affordable fuel for several years.” According to Shell:
Today, we want to take the Arctic Ready message offline, directly to the drivers who benefit from Shell’s performance fuels. That’s why we’re launching a new campaign (deadline this Thursday!), from which the best ads will be printed and posted in strategic locations worldwide.
Why anyone at Shell thought this was a good idea is a complete mystery. A “Shell is Prepared” parody account is poking even more fun at the PR nightmare:
WE’RE FLATTERED BY THE ATTENTION BUT PLEASE STOP. We’d hate to get the #Shell legal team involved.
— Social Media Team (@ShellisPrepared) July 18, 2012
The law, of course, doesn’t work that way, so here are some of the best crowdsourced ads:
