The All Blacks are at the centre of a new public relations controversy - this time over a supposedly humorous and edgy Telecom-led ad campaign to have fans abstain from sex during the World Cup.
The NZ Rugby Union is understood to have been irritated by the campaign, although it issued a supportive statement last night.
"Abstain for the All Blacks" - to start late next week - will be driven by the Telecom-sponsored official All Blacks' fan site, BackingBlack. It asks supporters to avoid sex during the World Cup to support the team.
The campaign will be fronted by former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick, and participants will receive black rubber finger-rings to show they have signed up for the World Cup next month.
Organisers hope the rings will galvanise fans in the way Sir Peter Blake's red socks did for New Zealand's successful America's Cup yachting campaigns.
But a marketing person familiar with the campaign said Telecom's advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, considered it "edgy" and expected it to be controversial.
He told the Herald: "I think this thing is a bloody embarrassment. The rest of the world will take the piss out of us. This will be much better sport than the rugby. It's inexplicable."
The campaign will run in various media. Posters bearing the slogan, "Touch, pause and don't engage" will be placed in bus shelters.
We can only think of three words to describe this plan; stupid, stupid and stupid. To try and link it to the Red Socks campaign is ludicrous; Sir Peter Blake actually wore the famous lucky socks on race days, and it was a spur-of-the-moment campaign after he disclosed that during an interview.
This reminds us of the Air New Zealand Hoeft/Oliver/Meeuws jumbo jet prior to the 1999 RWC where the All Blacks thought they were a sure thing until the French had one of those days at Twickenham. It's contrived, it's twee, and it's corporate mumbo-jumbo at its worst. It's neither humorous or edgy, and New Zealand will be mocked relentlessly because of it.
So here's our idea; let's abstain from Telecom. Are you with us?
UPDATE: Graham Henry thinks that it's a stupid idea too, and has quickly distanced the All Black's from Telecom's bizarre plan.
4 comments:
When I saw the front page of the Herald I cringed.
The concept is mind numbingly stupid
I suspect that the reaction may make the clowns who came up with this idea back down.
I'm sorry...but black rubber "finger-rings" - there is only one way that is going to go and it ain't pretty.
What exactly is wrong with the idea? I can understand some people would find it not to their taste, but there will be plenty who believe in abstinence. This is about personal beliefs and I for one believe in abstinence as a 'lucky charm', I will also be praying for the All Blacks to win, because that is certainly NOT superstitious.
Here is another reason why in my humble opinion Emmerson is this country's best cartoonist. I think you'd agree INV2! Chalk another one up for him!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10745529
they can go F**K themselves
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