Woolies Ends ANZAC Day Campaign

[icyfroth]

Woolworths takes down Anzac 'Fresh in our Memories' website after social media backlash

Supermarket giant Woolworths has ended a controversial Anzac Day campaign that saw the company's logo and the phrase "Fresh in our Memories" placed over the images of former soldiers.

The campaign, which the supermarket chain insisted was not a marketing move, drew strong criticisms on social media and sparked memes that hijacked the concept.

Late on Tuesday Woolworths took down its Fresh in Our Memories website.

"We regret that our branding on the picture generator has caused offense, this was clearly never our intention," Woolworths said in a statement.

Entire Article Here

What Woolworths marketing guru ever thought it would be ok to use Australia's most revered and emotive event in the history of the country as a marketing opportunity?

For Shame.

[cherry*135]

I don't know what you are on about.

[lyndal1838]

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@watta*drama*queen wrote:

I would have hoped that if you had seen the substitutions you too might have been offended by them.

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So how is Woolworths responsible for what others do?   Or are you saying that Woolworths did it themselves?

I am with Az on this.....while the Woolworths logo could have been left off, how is it disrespectful to show respect for Anzac Day?

The newspapers do it, I have seen plenty of businesses showing respect for the Anzac tradition.  Flags suddenly appear in windows, the Rising Sun badge appears and the words "Lest We Forget" are on everyone's lips.

[azureline**]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

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@watta*drama*queen wrote:

I would have hoped that if you had seen the substitutions you too might have been offended by them.

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So how is Woolworths responsible for what others do?   Or are you saying that Woolworths did it themselves?

I am with Az on this.....while the Woolworths logo could have been left off, how is it disrespectful to show respect for Anzac Day?

The newspapers do it, I have seen plenty of businesses showing respect for the Anzac tradition.  Flags suddenly appear in windows, the Rising Sun badge appears and the words "Lest We Forget" are on everyone's lips.

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woops.... prepare for censure!

I think it is worse to ignore Anzac Day myself, I like to see the pics of the Anzacs everywhere and the poppies, I know there are many people stitching, knitting and crocheting poppies this year.

[icyfroth]

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@watta*drama*queen wrote:

Perhaps the advertisement was 'untihinking' commercialism of the commemoration many respect but it was the disgusting actions of some on social media who superimposed pictures of Hitler, that grumpy cat and other inappropriate images together with totally insensitive and mindless changing of captions which were far more offensive.

I heard about those, but didn't see any on any of the social media sites I visit. I agree, they are even more offensive than the W/worths using ANZAC day to advertise themselves.

I see it so often on here from both sides of the political spectrum. It says so much more about those who spend their lives on their computers using social media to push their skewed views.

Having said that I do not support Woolworth's marketing in this instance either.

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[icyfroth]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

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@watta*drama*queen wrote:

I would have hoped that if you had seen the substitutions you too might have been offended by them.

---

So how is Woolworths responsible for what others do?   Or are you saying that Woolworths did it themselves?

I am with Az on this.....while the Woolworths logo could have been left off, how is it disrespectful to show respect for Anzac Day?

The newspapers do it, I have seen plenty of businesses showing respect for the Anzac tradition.  Flags suddenly appear in windows, the Rising Sun badge appears and the words "Lest We Forget" are on everyone's lips.

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Do those businesses stamp their logo on the flags? Badges? Using ANZAC and stamping the W/worths logo on the images of fallen soldiers as a marketing tool is not showing respect. Specially not when you're squeezing their descendants out of business to maximise your profits.

[icyfroth]

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@am*3 wrote:
I will wait for icy response thanks..or no response is fine if that is what she chooses.
Question asked in the interests of double standards. In the meantime I will do a search.

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Please do. I'd be interested myself.

From memory I was outraged that Big W and Aldi were pressured to pull their shirts with the Aussie flag on it. Because they had "Australia est 1788" on them".

A totally different issue.

[nevynreally]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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Do those businesses stamp their logo on the flags? Badges? Using ANZAC and stamping the W/worths logo on the images of fallen soldiers as a marketing tool is not showing respect. Specially not when you're squeezing their descendants out of business to maximise your profits.

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They really should sack the work experience kid. First we got the "cheap, cheap" garbage, then this.

[azureline**]

Hmmm........ what about the Courier Mail and the Anzac coin collection?
Why is no one upset over that one?

[Anonymous]

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@azureline** wrote:
Hmmm........ what about the Courier Mail and the Anzac coin collection?
Why is no one upset over that one?

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do you mean this one?

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/perth-mint-coins-honour-the-anzac-spirit/story-fnih...

[Anonymous]

while the Woolworths logo could have been left off, how is it disrespectful to show respect for Anzac Day?

i think you have answered your own question

but Jo Hawkins explains it nicely:

The supermarket giant this week launched a website that invited Australians to share memories of war veterans and upload a commemorative profile picture to social media. The site included a meme generator, which branded images of war dead with the Woolworths logo and tagline, "Fresh In Our Memories" - a staggeringly misguided pun evoking their corporate slogan "The Fresh Food People".

Despite Woolworths' assertion that the initiative was "not a marketing campaign", there is little doubt the site was designed to produce branded consumer-generated content, and encourage Australians to share this content on their social networks. It is likely that Woolworths aspired to tap into public sentiment before Anzac Day – with the aim of generating likes, brand engagement , and a strong emotional connection with consumers.