This ad was so impactful, they BANNED it

Hello, creative souls!

Let me write you a two-sentence horror story. You put in your blood, sweat & tears executing an insane ad campaign. You spend a bomb to get it produced, and then released. And, WHAM. They ban your ad.

This is what happened to e-bike company, VanMoof’s ‘Reflections’ campaign. In the ad, we open with a car - an insanely stylish-looking car with a glossy surface that reflects grid-locked freeways, industrial air pollution, a packed subway, basically - the way we know transport today. The car melts to reveal the future of transportation, the VanMoof S3 eBike.

The Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité (ARPP) of France did not like this one bit. They banned the ad for it’s negative(?) portrayal of car traffic and pollution, and for inciting ‘Climate Anxiety’. According to them, the ad violated the advertising and marketing code by exploiting feelings of fear or suffering.

Now, did the brand actually cross some lines? Debatable. If one were to be critical, it wouldn’t be fair to pin the global environmental crisis on just cars and the larger automotive industry(Private Jets say ‘Howdy!’). But was banning the ad the solution? Nope.

But what it has inevitably done is triggered the Streisand effect which is when the attempts to suppress something only makes it more well-known.

This. Is. Not. New.

Succès de scandale is a French term that translates to "success from scandal." It refers to a situation where an individual, piece of work, or event becomes famous or successful largely due to the controversy or scandal it generates, rather than through merit alone. An example: P.T. Barnum, the circus entrepreneur, excelled in orchestrating publicity stunts. During his circus tours, he frequently arranged for someone to sue him or lodge a complaint against him in the local newspaper, generating public curiosity. One of the most notable instances involved him hiring an individual to sue him, alleging that the bearded lady was actually a man.

Here are some examples about mainstream brands using this:

Benetton: Known for its shock advertising campaigns, Benetton used images of a priest kissing a nun and other provocative content to attract attention.

Calvin Klein: Frequently employs sexually suggestive and provocative imagery in its ads, often pushing the boundaries of societal norms.

Outrage over a work's content doesn't stop it from becoming successful. Quite on the contrary. Strangely, the moral guardians never seem to learn from the fact that they're doing a good job of making their objects of hate more popular, thus, free advertising.

Should we open up a new category called ‘Banvertising’? Want to create a scene, purposefully? Hashing a ploy to get cancelled?

Remember…If you're unaware of a product or service, you can't buy it. Therefore, if a scandal brings attention to the product or its creator, the increased awareness leads to more people knowing about it. Even if most of these people decide never to buy it, there will still be a net increase in interest and (hopefully?) sales. However, this can backfire if you step on too many toes as controversy can alienate certain audience segments, lead to boycotts, or damage the brand's reputation if not managed carefully. Therefore, it's crucial to balance the potential benefits with the risks and ensure that the core message aligns with the brand's values and long-term goals.

Figment is written by Abbhinav Kastura, a writer/producer who has spent a decade making impactful internet videos and Guru Nicketan, an advertising nerd, B2B Marketer, stand-up comedian, and a film buff.