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Groupon pulls unpopular Super Bowl commercials with Elizabeth Hurley, Timothy Hutton, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Social discount purveyor Groupon hasn't won any new fans with their poorly-received Super Bowl ads, in which celebrities bring up serious global issues (Tibet, deforestation) and then segue into the superficial matter of saving money on dinner and spa treatments.
The New York Times reports that the backlash has been such that the company is officially axing its biggest campaign to date.
"We hate that we offended people, and we're very sorry that we did," Groupon CEO Andrew Mason writes in his blog. "It's the last thing we wanted."
The ads, featuring Timothy Hutton, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Elizabeth Hurley, were edited Feb. 8 with subtitles and narration pointing out ways to help the actual causes they were mocking, but it was too late.
As Mason also points out: "If an ad requires an explanation, that means it didn't work."
The New York Times reports that the backlash has been such that the company is officially axing its biggest campaign to date.
"We hate that we offended people, and we're very sorry that we did," Groupon CEO Andrew Mason writes in his blog. "It's the last thing we wanted."
The ads, featuring Timothy Hutton, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Elizabeth Hurley, were edited Feb. 8 with subtitles and narration pointing out ways to help the actual causes they were mocking, but it was too late.
As Mason also points out: "If an ad requires an explanation, that means it didn't work."
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Photo/Video credit: Groupon
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right... using celebrities.... which are all glammed up daily, and tell regular people to save money.. if they donated some money to whatever charity great
this campaign was a total disaster. and besides they paid big bucks to help flush their company down the toilet, now that's funny!!
I liked them, but I like dark comedy.
Ahh did they offend a couple of people boo hoo some people really need to get a life if they are worried this much about commercials.