So everyone’s talking Swine flu.  Its all over the news, dominating water cooler conversation and providing excellent fodder for late night talk.  But does it translate to the marketing world.  Reknown non-traditional marketing company GoGorilla Media recently attempted to capitalize on the potential pandemic.
The New York based company has built its business on being able to identify hot new trends and match them with out-of-the-box concepts.  But when GoGorilla Media began selling sponsorships on surgical masks designed to protect concerned Americans from the potentially deadly swine flu, the reaction was almost worse than than that caused by the outbreak.

The company’s bright idea was to brand the front of the masks and distribute them to the masses free of charge via street team, instantly turning concern into commerce.  According to GoGorilla, they felt they were doing a public service by providing folks with the “hard to find” masks in return for thier cooperation as “brand ambassadors.”

The best part about it is the idea somehow cleared approval from the company brass and was pitched to actual prospects.  GoGorilla’s CEO fortunately would recind the concept later that day but only after I’m sure receiving a slew of scathing emails and phone calls from outraged prospects with whom the idea had been shared.  “The concept was not as clever as I had originally thought.” He said.  His full email is below.

Earlier this week Zack (Highbrid Nation Since 2008) blogged about the PR implications of the Swine Flu Outbreak.  From his expert public relations opinion he similarly suggested using the front of the mask as a canvas, individuals could share public health messages with the public non-verbally.  While GoGorilla’s concept was more commercial does make me question given Zack a PR expert’s thought process that the company’s actual objective was just to drum up publicity.  Hmmmm.

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Via Gawker