People are getting sick from COVID-19. The disease is spreading fast, the death toll is on the rise, and people all over the Earth are “sheltering in place.”
It’s a scary, difficult situation for everyone, but thankfully some people and some companies have immense resources, which they’re willing to use for the public good.
“Coca-Cola Philippines has decided that all commercial advertising of Coca-Cola and all our brands in the country will be put on hold, effective immediately,” Coca-Cola Philippines president and general manager Winn Everhart said.
“All our committed advertising space and budgets will be redirected towards supporting COVID-19 relief and response efforts for the most affected communities.” Coca-Cola Philippines spends $P150-million per year on advertising.
These funds are now being re-channeled to provide hydration needs, personal protective equipment, and other essential needs to healthcare workers and others on the frontline.
In Brazil, A McMonstrosity
I worked for a creative director once who was emotionally dumb, but smart in other ways. He said to me, “Smart is better than clever.” That stuck. It’s also how I know that this ain’t right:
By separating the Golden Arches, McDonald’s Brazil went with clever, not smart. It’s not smart to violate the brand’s logo standards. It’s also not smart to be cute in a time of trouble and despair.
The clever move, in this case, is also an obvious plea for an industry award. “Oh look, they separated the Golden Arches, how clever,” the award show judge will one day say.
Unless I am the award show judge. Or Ben Kay. Ben Kay doesn’t care for it either.
"McDonald’s Brazil reconceives the Golden Arches in pulled-apart form to encourage consumers to keep each other safe through social distancing." I think that'll work really well. In other news, fuck off, McDonald's. https://t.co/eTs0aNgMG3
— Ben Kay (@BenKayWriter) March 20, 2020
