Like so many other companies, PawnGo decided to take advantage of Super Bowl mania to raise awareness for their brand. However, their method to do so ended up being more controversial than many of the commercial that ran during the game, and it had nothing to with sex, violence or politics. Instead, it was all about Butterfingers.

For those who did not see the end of the game, ahead by two points with four minutes left New England Patriots’ Wide Receiver Wes Welker could not hold on to a pass thrown to him, thus leading to an epic game-winning final drive by the New York Giants. On Tuesday, PawnGo employees dumped 900 pounds of Butterfingers right in the heart of Patriots Nation, Boston’s Copley Square, leaving behind a sign that read “Thank You, Wes Welker!” The result was widespread national coverage, even landing the CEO an interview with Forbes. Perhaps even in today’s age of social media, the old adage “any press is good press” is still relevant.

Then again, perhaps not.  Patriots fans, still reeling from the loss two days’ prior, did not appreciate the orange buttery flakes being poured on their fresh wounds, while also singling out one player in a team loss.  The outcry on Twitter and Facebook against PawnGo was immediate and harsh. PawnGo was quick to first deflect blame onto their PR firm, and then issue a recant of sorts, Tweeting that in reality they have “the utmost respect” for Welker, and then flipped their message again to defend themselves, stating that they have fans in every city, including Patriots fans.

PawnGo was caught off guard, not expecting the vociferous attacks they were receiving from Welker supporters, and yesterday CEO Todd Hills issued a public apology on the company’s blog, while tweeting that the Denver-based company is “raising the white flag.”  Like a Tebow pass, the stunt had spiraled out of control due to an angry Patriots’ defense.

The Butterfinger Blowup brings to the fore three important points for brands to keep in mind when considering this type of controversial publicity stunt:

1. Know your target demographics, even the ones you are trying to exploit: The Super Bowl loss was extremely hard on Boston sports fans, and despite Hills’ assumption, a prank disparaging one of the region’s most beloved athletes two days after his worst professional moment would not be taken “light-heartedly,” as he noted in the Forbes interview. Maybe there are certain cities in the country that would shrug it off, but in Boston, there is a strong emotional connection to local sports teams, one which PawnGo should have realized.
2. Social media occasionally drives an edgier, more confrontational brand persona: The stunt was launched on Twitter, with ominous tweets coming early Tuesday morning from PawnGo directed at Boston sports fans.  When I heard this, I was immediately reminded of last year’s tweet from fashion designer Kenneth Cole, using a classless tongue-in-cheek reference to the Egyptian uprising to promote his spring collection. Yes, social media does allow you to develop a more personal brand image with attitude, but that attitude should always be positive. George F. Snell referred to these types of stunts as “vile marketing,” which leads to the third point…
3. When deciding to “go negative,” take time to weigh the benefits of added brand awareness against the inevitable hit in brand perception. As a result of the prank, millions more people now know who PawnGo is. However at the same time, the first word that comes to mind when thinking of the company, particularly for prospective New England customers, will be negative. Is it worth it to potentially alienate one market (and a large one at that), for national exposure?

Where PawnGo goes from here, and whether or not they regret the prank, only they know. Was it ultimately worth it? Like New England’s chances in getting back to the Super Bowl, only time will tell. What do you think? Was PawnGo’s Butterfinger stunt a shrewd move in brand publicity, or was it too negative for its own good?

(Image courtesy of Bostinno.com)