To pull or not to pull?

As we head into the end of 2023, with war raging in Gaza and Ukraine and culture wars raging, well, everywhere, brands are finding out yet again to their cost that social media critics are their worst enemy.

The latest brand to find itself on the sharp end of consumer outrage is Zara, which has just pulled a new fashion campaign featuring images which according to the retailer were set in an artistic atelier, but that some said resembled the war in Gaza, leading to #BoycottZara trending on X.

Last month, we had Marks & Spencer having to edit out scenes from its Christmas ad of red and green paper hats burning in a grate. Their crime? Social media users said they looked like the Palestinian flag and were therefore a hidden message of support for Israel.

As creatives, we should obviously be aware that these are super sensitive times. But as brands, when’s it right to give into the social media pressure?

Do we always need to axe an expensively strategised, researched, shot and produced campaign, months in the making, because someone on X with too much time on their hands says so? Is it ever OK to ignore the social media pile-on?

There’s an argument that in giving in, we validate the idea that just a handful of complaints about something merits a campaign being cancelled.

But on the other hand, if thousands are calling for a boycott of your brand, is it worth digging your heels in? Here are some thoughts as we head into another turbulent year.

Seek counsel

My first thought is, take a look at the platform in question. Personally, my X feed is overwhelmed by images of victims of bombing in Gaza, children crying in rubble and yes, white body bags similar to the “shrouds” people thought they saw in the Zara campaign.

Even if the offence was completely unintentional, consider whether you should have run more of a sense check before signing off on the work. For example, Next has had to apologise this week over a sweater it sold with the Pan Am logo. It offended people who lost loved ones in the Lockerbie bombing of a Pan Am jet.

Perhaps a quick Google search might have unearthed this one, even for designers who might not remember the 1980s.  

Defend the work

Be OK with the fact that you're not going to please everyone. Now, I'm not saying that due diligence isn't essential, but if you have done yours then you have to defend the work. Point out why (and when) it was created. Don’t make it look as if you’re running scared of every armchair critic. 

In the case of M&S, where many observers were also clear that the criticism was an overreaction, then there shouldn’t be pressure to walk away from the campaign.

Obviously if you can easily edit the campaign to take some of the heat out, this is an option, and one which M&S eventually took. But don’t validate conspiracy theories if you don’t need to.

You’re not going please everyone

Creative work that seeks to please everyone is arguably also going to be anodyne work that doesn’t provoke, entertain or spark a conversation. Be OK with that. Some people also complained about Sophie Ellis-Bextor torching Christmas cards in the M&S ad.

But in the end, the brand stood by that. Yes, some were offended by what they saw as the denigration of a much-loved tradition – but others loved the cheeky, provocative approach.

Backtracking can sometimes do even more damage – as Bud Light found out to its cost this year when it didn’t defend its campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, and lost fans on both sides of the culture wars. 

Apologise properly

If you are going to apologise, do it well. If you are going to pull the campaign and it's a campaign that you genuinely believe in, commissioned for the right reasons and signed off then stand by the work, talk about the strategy and creative.

Defend your position but do it with empathy and understanding for the people who are hurting at a time of political turmoil. Not doing that will only add fuel to the fire by giving “I'm sorry you feel that way vibes”. Don’t do it like a jilted lover, with “I’m sorry if you found that upsetting”. 

Come back better

Don’t lick your wounds and don’t overreact – do the creatives need to take the rap? Was the timing just unfortunate? Or is there a more collective responsibility among everyone involved? 

Look at what went wrong, but move on, learn the lessons and strive to do a better job next time. 

Tamryn Kerr is founder and CCO at Hijinks.