When it comes to hashtags in advertising, there is nothing accidental about them. Ad agencies and their clients put a lot of deliberate thought and approval processes in place to ensure everything about their ad campaigns meet certain standards. In fact, hashtags could be considered one of the latest "it" bright shiny object techniques in advertising. Advertisers just seem to be chomping at the bit to find a way to weave a hashtag into their campaigns and show what great "integrated marketers" they are...but many campaigns are "misses" rather than winners.

1. 2013'S WORST AD CAMPAIGN
HASHTAGS
If you think hashtags are the next big thing for your
advertising efforts, proceed with caution before you lay
your brand out to dry.
By Hollis Thomases, 12/30/13

2. BACKGROUND
Tweets and hashtags have gotten people and
brands into trouble (Justine Sacco/IAC debacle)
 Typically result from careless postings; did not
follow the 10 second self-censor "rule”
 Hashtags in advertising are not accidental



Hashtags could be considered one of the latest "it"
bright shiny object techniques in advertising.


Ad agencies and their clients put a lot of deliberate
thought and approval processes in place
Advertisers want to find a way to weave a hashtag into
their campaigns to show what great "integrated
marketers" they are.
Often leads to poor or useless execution

3. THE BENIGN/ADD NO REAL VALUE
HASHTAGS

4. 1. FORD’S #FORDDREAMBIG

Used by some consumers the way Ford intended
them to, but then there are the abusers, and it’s the
abuse a brand should not leave itself open to

5. 2. TOYS R US'S #WISHINACCOMPLISHED

With no brand correlation at all and tiny font flashed
on its television ad, Toys R Us leaves itself open to
hashtag hijackers and brand protestors.

6. 3. SPRINT’S #HONORTHIS

While this campaign featuring James Earl Jones
and Malcolm McDowell vocalizing calls and texts of
supposed Sprint users flashes the hashtag onscreen for all of two seconds at the very end of the
commercials…

7. #HASHTAGFAILS

8. 1. DOMINO’S #POWEREDBYPIZZA

Rohitb Hargava makes a compelling case: you can
have a great hashtag, but can fail without great
execution

9. 2. GUINNESS'S #ROUNDUPYOURMATES

Dan Barker’s blog shows just how far a brand is
willing to go to experiment with hashtags in
advertising…and fail. Great advice on how to do it
better.

10. RIPE FOR ABUSE

11. 1. JELL-O'S #FML

Playing off a standard negative acronym hashtag
(***k my life), Jell-O converted it to “fun my life,”
offering to help out a few lucky #fml sufferers…but
do you want your brand associated with a hashtag
that’s dicey to begin with?

12. 2. WONDERFUL PISTACHIO'S #CRACKINSTYLE

TV commercial featuring Gangham Style’s Psy and
a dancing pistachio. The hashtag is not only
unmemorable, but also easy to abuse, particularly
after Psy’s anti-American statements.

13. 3. MUCINEX'S #BLAMEMUCUS
Mucus is gross; a hashtag about it is gross too.
 Evidence of paid incentives (a #blamemucus
party?!)


14. 4. CHARMIN'S #TWEETFROMTHESEAT

This campaign is just wrong, wrong, wrong.

15. KEY TAKE-AWAY

If you’re considering incorporating hashtags into
your advertising or marketing campaigns really
consider if the hashtag is adding any or enough
value. That value has to outweigh the likelihood of
the negative or hijacked use of your hashtag.
Don’t miss this "#Hashtag" skit with Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake

16. HOLLIS THOMASES – CLIENT DIGITAL
ADVOCATE
In 1998, multi-time award-winning entrepreneur
Hollis Thomases founded Maryland-based Web
Ad.vantage, providing strategic digital marketing
and advertising solutions. In 2013, Hollis
became a sole practitioner focused on marketing
advocacy – ensuring clients were educated and
aware of the pitfalls and missed opportunities
that the digital marketplace can provide.
In January 2010, Hollis authored the
book, “Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day,” by
John Wiley & Sons, and has been a columnist
with Inc.com, Social Media Marketing
Magazine, and ClickZ. Hollis also frequently
speaks at industry conferences and association
events.
Hollis Thomases graduated from Cornell
University with a BA in Social Relations. You can
find her in the Twittersphere
@hollisthomases, on LinkedIn, by email or
by old-fashioned phone: +011-484-679-6364.
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