Mr. Clean Gets His Hands Dirty

There is a key concept in the field of media studies that is important for any company to abide by. Does anyone want to see an ad for Con Edison after a major blackout? How about an ad for BP after a massive oil spill? The answer is, plain and simple: NO. The concept I am referring to is the cultural resources strategy. Or in this case, the opposite.

The reputation of bikers (especially ones in gangs) has been worsening over time. There was the episode of South Park that pretty much stated what we all think: biker gangs aren't cool anymore, they're now seen as obnoxious, loud, gas guzzling bullies. There are noise laws that have been put into place in neighborhoods across the country, and all-leather everything is now reserved only for the likes of our least respected celebrities. The beating of Alexian Lien, a New York father of two, only furthered their negative reputation. So why would any brand want to associate themselves with a group that 86% of people think should be cracked down on by police? Well, the answer might be that they already made the commercial before this nationally-followed atrocity occurred. They didn't want to throw a perfectly good commercial in the trash. In fact, the ad was posted to Youtube about a month before the media frenzy began. Not a very good spot to be in. But, they should have scrapped it. 

Keeping it on was a big mistake. They would maintain a much cleaner (pun intended) reputation if they didn't associate themselves with one of the most hated groups in America.

The thing is, even if people don't necessarily associate Mr. Clean's brand with biker gangs directly, the commercial is distracting. Most people are just going to be reminded of the news story that made headlines for two weeks in a row and not even notice the commercial they are watching, much-less what it's for. If anything, they should have aired the commercial a few months into the future, when the story is no longer fresh in the public's mind. 

Here's an example of how to elegantly push the envelope of what Americans will tolerate in an ad. 

Unfortunately, as great as this ad might be, only open-minded and intelligent people will think highly of it. While many are praising GAP for being so progressive and creative, there are those that have defaced and/or criticized the ad.