On a recent edition of CNN, commentators displayed an image of Snapple Beverage’s latest advertisement. The advertisement is a picture of two slush-like drinks in plastic cups, each with a thin straw rising out of the slush at an angle. In the distance what appears to be a firefly is buzzing toward the drink cups. The tag-line at the top of the image reads: Collapse Into Cool. This advertisement is important because it has come under harsh criticism from many who say the image resembles the World Trade Center twin towers (the two straws) with an airplane (the firefly) heading right at them! The “collapse” part of the tag-line further offends those who view the ad from this Rorschach perspective. Such ads demonstrate the importance of advertising and public relations. Despite the ad being innocuous, it is how it is perceived by the public that matters. This is not the first time Snapple Beverage’s ads have come under such attacks. While some of these attacks are spurious, the company has been forced to abandon some campaigns and spend money to denounce rumors regarding others. This presentation will now explore three advertising and public relations-related articles that pertain to Snapple Beverage and its advertising campaigns.
The first article is entitled To Boycott Or Not? This article deals with the rumor revolving around the labels on Snapple Beverages. Rumors began circulating in the early 1990s that Snapple Beverage supported the Klu Klux Klan (KKK). Leonard Marsh, the president of Snapple hoped that the rumors would go away. The rumors were in part spread by the KKK, and as evidence to support the claim they pointed to the “K” printed on Snapple Beverage labels and in advertisements. However, the “K” stands for “Kosher” and may be found on many products. As a Snapple spokesperson argued, “Why would three Jewish boys from Brooklyn support the KKK?” (Shapiro 15). Despite there being n...