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Woolworths rapped over guerilla marketing on side of ABC Adelaide head office

Screen Shot 2014-09-04 at 10.05.33 AMWoolworths has said it expects to continue its guerilla marketing tactics and project adverts onto the side of buildings despite being rapped by the ABC for cheekily promoting $1 packets of doritos on the side of the broadcaster’s Adelaide head office.

But a spokesman for the supermarket giant confirmed it will not use ABC buildings in any future campaign after receiving a letter from the network’s legal department telling them not to repeat the act.

Woolworths engaged in the guerilla marketing blitz on Sunday in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide to promote its ‘show stopper specials’. But the commercial-free ABC took exception to its buildings being used for product advertising and wrote to the retailer.

The  Woolies spokesman rejected earlier media reports that the ABC had threatened legal action, telling Mumbrella it was simply a request not to use their building again.

“The ABC said it must be impartial and non-commercial. We won’t use their building in future,” he said.

The spokesman added that while Woolworths requests a third party to project the ads onto buildings in high visibility locations, it is unaware of exactly which buildings are being used.

The ABC said the letter had come from its legal team but did not threaten legal action. “The ABC wrote to Woolworths requesting it not to use the ABC’s buildings for advertising, noting the ABC’s statutory requirements of independence and integrity,” a spokesman said.

Steve Jones

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