Carlton Draught: Decision to can TV ad was ‘not a PR stunt’
Carlton & United Breweries says its last minute decision to pull a TV ad for its Carlton Draught beer brand just before its release was “not a publicity stunt”, Mumbrella has been told.
It follows an article published earlier today in which Mumbrella revealed CUB’s move to abruptly scrap the ad which would have been the latest installment in the long-running “Made from Beer” campaign.
CUB said it felt the ad “pushed the boundaries too far” and told its advertising agency Clemenger BBDO Melbourne to come up with a new TV creative.
But industry speculation has begun to mount that it is part of a PR stunt to generate publicity around its latest marketing campaign.
The agency, the production company, the post houses, etc will all have presumably signed confidentiality agreements.
So if this “shelved” extravaganza leaks, as “Trouble Brewing” has hinted it might, presumably CUB will go to a fair bit of trouble to isolate the source, and maybe even go after them.
This smells like stale beer. If it is not a beat up then Carlton’s marketing and Clemenger’s creative should be beat up for not thinking it up in the first place. We now have a $2.5 million dollar ad campaign that is being hailed as very funny by anonymous contributors on various media websites including this one, anonymous radio callers flagging YouTube as the place to be watching as it is “worth watching” and Carlton saying they would never treat the media like that and that they have faith in their creative agencies not to pull a stunt…are you serious? Well of course, stupid question…
Huge risk. Wouldn’t take the chance canceling a TVC at the last minute… don’t have the kahunas to pull something like that. I doubt someone over at Clems BBDO Melbourne would either.
I’m still betting this is the agency trying to pressure the client into releasing the commercial in time for Cannes.
Risky, considering this was supposedly an upper, upper management decision.
It’s balls gentlemen and if Carlton lacked them in the first instance they need to grow some now. If they are being leveraged by the agency (which I doubt) then they need to deliver the master stroke and claim the kudos for the whole shebang now. This will get them the desperately needed publicity, raise their profile and shut me up (among others)about how useless they have been in the last little while…it may even sell some beer!
Firstly Snake, I am not a man, though I have been told I have cojones.
Secondly, If the client vetoed this commercial, it will not have been the first time that an agency made an expensive ad that never saw the light of day.
The ad has been viewed by several commentators, who seem to be saying it’s “awesome” or whatever. So we are all intrigued. But ultimately, it is the client’s 2.5m and if they shelve the ad, then I wouldn’t want to be cop the blame as the rogue who posted it, with CUB’s lawyers bearing down.
If it’s genuine, i feel for the team involved.
Wasn’t there a case a few years back when a team sued there agency for loss of future earnings following an ad pull?
They managed to prove the ad would have won awards, accolades and pay-rises.
TYPO: their not there (before anyone points it out).
My apologies Ms/Mrs Cojones for such a presumptuous assumption on your gender. I am not normally that sexist. I think I just got carried away with the underlying conspiracy theory. However, I think if it goes the way it seems to be heading, Carlton might be quite happy to revisit their decision and may even reload the campaign to take advantage of a YouTube tsunami of public interest to maximise the exposure. In light of recent poor reviews of their advertising this could represent a major coup.
There is even a strong possibility that it may raise Carlton’s profile enough to sell some product.