When You've Lost Your Sense of Humor, You've Really Lost It

It’s been a really long time since I’ve done any straight up campaign prescriptions. If anyone out there has any suggestions for campaigns to check out, feel free to email me at james.walker@prpescriptions.com or DM me on twitter: @jaywalk1. Like I said, it’s been a while, but here’s something I had to share.

Sucker City, Mad Mag

 

 What? Why? It’s funny. The only big problem I see here is the joke about the epilepsy bundle with the bitestick controller. You’re a big brand (at least in my mind) and here’s a group poking a little fun. How much harm could it have really caused?

Let’s review this person’s plan of action: 

1. Remove all copies from the store.

2. Destroy them

3. Throw it away

Problem solved, right? This person has lost their sense of humor and as a result, really lost it!   

Diagnosis: I think the response here was a big overreaction. If anything it caused a little buzz about Circuit City, a brand I associate with my crappy Compaq which always seemed to know the perfect time to freeze, ignore my internet connection, destroy a CD, shutdown or all of the above. That too is a topic for another day.  

Prescription: A fun response. By the time I learned about this, it was already taken care of by a smart guy named Jim Babb.

Now, here’s how you deal with something like this. Light, acknowledges the issue, but still humorous. When dealing with these types of things, it’s always best to do the following:

1. Take a deep breath.

2. Think about the positives and negatives of the current situation. 

3. Think about potential repercussions of your actions.

4. Find the nearest Gen Y PR Professional.

5. DON’T LOSE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR!

* If you’re in danger of violating #5, check out Business Guys on Business Trips. It’s hilarious, in that kind-of true but don’t want to admit it kind of way.