RSS
Home
Reese's makes a mockery of the global warming crisis
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
In a recent 15-second spot for Reese's by agency-of-record Arnold Worldwide, the candy manufacturer attempts to use a highly sensitive topic like global warming to entertain consumers.
The art is simple, with the product's identifiable brand colors as the background and fonts for the ad. Using the iconic circular chocolate candy with the ridged-edges as the focal point, there is the stark copy for the ad superimposed on the spot: "Stop global warming now or all the Reese's will melt." It then quickly segues to the ending line "Reese's perfect."
Personally, I think that this is the most distasteful way of an advertiser trying to use "green marketing" to attract viewers. Sure, it's supposed to be fun, maybe tongue-in-cheek even, but with such a crucial and sensitive topic such as global warming, it probably is not wise to use it in this fashion. Some will say that I don't have a sense of humor, which is definitely not the case, and others will say that I am taking it out of context. Call me a tree-hugging hippie if you'd like but I think that global warming is not a laughing matter. If Reese's wanted to jump on the "green" bandwagon like so many advertisers have then why not create some actual eco-friendly initiatives and then touting them, like maybe making the paper cups from 100% recycled paper and using that as a selling point in your commercials?
Whatever the reason behind this spot, I think that Arnold definitely missed the mark - which, for the record, I have incredible respect for, being an iconic agency. Next time, I think that Reese's and Arnold alike should think a bit more about their unique selling proposition (USP) before creating an ad that can be a bit too tongue-in-cheek with viewers.
