Have you seen the fake BP public relations tweets about the oil spill in the Gulf? I've been peeking in on @BPGlobalPR for the past couple of days at the satirical, sardonic and seriously un-PC tweets the account's creator has been sending out. (Animal lovers be warned: this person apparently never asks "is this in bad taste?" before hitting 'enter.')
Take one recent tweet. "Due to public outcry," it read, "our 'Spill or Be Spilled' Flash game will be taken off our BP Kidz Klub website. 'Smack the greasy manatee' stays."
Or the latest one (so far) today: "The oil leak was caused by a natural gas explosion, or sea fart, which is now having silent but deadly consequences. #bpseafart"
Some say this is all in extremely poor taste. Others call it dark humor at its finest. Either way, it's definitely a good example of how easily a company's brand can get hijacked on social networks. The spoof account has more than 97,000 followers, compared to fewer than 9,000 for the real BP Twitter feed, @BP_America. The real BP, apparently choosing to ignore the spoof, is tweeting serious-sounding updates about the effort to stop the oil spill.
People have been speculating about the identity of the spoof's creator, with some guessing it's a professional comedy writer type. Whoever it is, I suppose it won't be long before he or she's signing a book deal, a la Fake Steve Jobs blogger Dan Lyons.
Just one more example of how, in the age of social media, anybody can grab the microphone, and God only knows what they'll choose to do with it.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
BP Twitter spoof building huge following
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10 comments:
At this point, what else can you do? This thing has gone on for 6-7 weeks after a "modest" harm assessment by their CEO. British company completely screwing up 1/3 of the entire USA coastline (should it get into the Gulf Stream). They didn't engage the seriousness of this issue until it was completely out of control - only to say "This is unprecendented. How could we be prepared?" They should have laid Boon in excessive two days after the spill....not 2 weeks.
Hearing the term "fail safe" for anything related to what BP has touched...is laughable, disrespecting and a complete sham.
I will NEVER shop at another BP for as long as I live. I'd rather run out of gas before so.
that is too rich!!! agree with point above this is a such a joke. although i plan to buy some BP stock when it hits rock bottom
The spoof account didn't hijack their brand. Their gross incompetence & callous disregard for the environment did. I, too, will never buy BP.
OBAMA February 2008: We can talk about a trust that was broken -- the promise that our government will be prepared, will protect us, and will respond in a catastrophe. When President Bush came down to Jackson Square two weeks after the storm, the setting was spectacular and as promises soaring: "We will do what it takes," he said. "We will take as long as it takes to help citizens rebuild their communities and their lives." But over two years later, those words have been caught in a tangle of half measures, halfhearted leadership, and red tape.
It's time for America to rebuild trust with the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. When I am president, I will start by restoring that most basic trust: That your government will do what it takes to keep you safe. The words "never again" spoken sooo often in those weeks after Katrina must not fade to a whisper.
BRAVO! Comrad Obama, another one of your mouthy, hollow promises.
During the first few days, some people actually thought that this spoof account was the real BP......it's all funny and sad at the same time.
Come on! Write something that Mashable hasn't written about the week previous.
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