Whether ‘tis a noble attempt to turn a negative into a positive or merely an overt exploitation of angst-riddled teens blowing off steam, Jello’s latest campaign is definitely “putting it out there.” The “watch it wiggle, see it jiggle” brand is redefining #FML to mean “fun” my life… Ahem. They are then randomly reaching out to some of those who tweet their problems hashtagged with the three-letter profane exclamatory (especially if they include “Yo @Jello” in their tweet) and replying in a positive manner, offering a way to turn that frown upside down. In the reply, tweeters are “surprised” to hear that the brand is sending them something to cheer them up – something along the lines of a whoopie cushion. OK, that’s cute. And perhaps it will pay off for the brand. But it seems to be fraught with all sorts of reputation risks, such as:
- Alienating parents and grandparents who buy / make Jello and feel this is in poor taste.
- Alienating Millennials who feel the brand is trying to take away their anger, turning the ultimate profanity into something that’s grandma safe.
- Incurring mockery from the marketing community.
On the other hand, maybe everyone will think it’s just groovy. My take: Fun My Life tries too hard. But it does have (some) people talking and tweeting about Jello…and it has been a while since anyone did that.
~ @AdvertGirl
