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    Ethical Issues in Sales Advertisements: Reebok'S Advertisment

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    Reebok released an advertisement campaign with the slogan "Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout" which caused public outrage. The ad was meant to motivate gym goers but was seen as encouraging unethical behavior. Reebok apologized and removed the ads, stating they do not condone cheating. While it gained attention, the ad hurt Reebok's image and sales declined as a result of previous controversies. The incident showed companies should consider ethics in marketing to avoid damaging their brand.

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    Ethical Issues in Sales Advertisements: Reebok'S Advertisment

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    mega
    217 views3 pages
    Reebok released an advertisement campaign with the slogan "Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout" which caused public outrage. The ad was meant to motivate gym goers but was seen as encouraging unethical behavior. Reebok apologized and removed the ads, stating they do not condone cheating. While it gained attention, the ad hurt Reebok's image and sales declined as a result of previous controversies. The incident showed companies should consider ethics in marketing to avoid damaging their brand.

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    Reebok Ad

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    Reebok released an advertisement campaign with the slogan "Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout" which caused public outrage. The ad was meant to motivate gym goers but was seen as encouraging unethical behavior. Reebok apologized and removed the ads, stating they do not condone cheating. While it gained attention, the ad hurt Reebok's image and sales declined as a result of previous controversies. The incident showed companies should consider ethics in marketing to avoid damaging their brand.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    217 views3 pages

    Ethical Issues in Sales Advertisements: Reebok'S Advertisment

    Uploaded by

    mega
    Reebok released an advertisement campaign with the slogan "Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout" which caused public outrage. The ad was meant to motivate gym goers but was seen as encouraging unethical behavior. Reebok apologized and removed the ads, stating they do not condone cheating. While it gained attention, the ad hurt Reebok's image and sales declined as a result of previous controversies. The incident showed companies should consider ethics in marketing to avoid damaging their brand.

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    REEBOK’S ADVERTISMENT

    Rebook’s controversial 'Cheat On Your Girlfriend,


    Not Your Workout' ad campaign and public
    backlash in 2012

    Mega Bhattarai
    18010160 Ace-IBS

    Ethical Issues in
    Sales
    Advertisements
    Home assignment
    Reebok International Limited is an American footwear and clothing company founded in Bolton,

    and headquartered in Boston. Since 2005, the company has been a subsidiary of German sporting

    goods giant Adidas. Reebok produces and distributes fitness, running and CrossFit sportswear

    including clothing and footwear.

    Like any good workout buddy, Reebok is dedicated to keeping hesitant gym goers on that

    treadmill but the general public was less than thrilled when the athletic shoe/apparel company

    released a poster with the motivational message: "Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your

    workout."

    Reebok spokesperson Dan Sarro told CBSBoston.com that the ad wasn't a part of a global

    marketing campaign but only appeared in one German gym. Reebok's statement reads: “We

    regret that some offensive Reebok materials were recently printed. The signs were removed as

    soon as we were made aware of them. I can assure you that Reebok does not condone this

    message or cheating in any way. We apologize for the offensive nature of these materials, and

    are disappointed that they appeared at all."

    While it may have grabbed the consumer’s attention, the ad released by Reebok had been pulled

    out in response to the public’s outrageous reaction toward it. The slogan of the ad reads: “cheat

    on your girlfriend, not on your workout.” This phrase makes Reebok seem as though it is

    encouraging people not only to buy its products but also to literally “cheat on your girlfriend.”

    Undoubtedly, advertisement is an important channel through which companies can promote their

    brand to the targeted market. Yet in the case of Reebok and its new ad campaign, Reebok did not

    only let itself better known to the people but also gained a disgrace of endorsing unethical

    behavior in its potential customers.


    Although this ad appears to be an isolated incident, it certainly does nothing to help Reebok's

    continued tarnished image after the company was publicly criticized last year because of its

    'toning shoes' campaign. Sales of the shoe company dropped 3per cent in the fourth quarter

    compared to the previous year, while Adidas sales grew by 14per cent.

    Personally, I found that this “cheat on your girlfriend” campaign was not an absolute failure for

    Reebok, in that the slogan, after all, has succeeded in catching the people’s attention. Yet I too

    find it hard to argue that Reebok should have been more careful in choosing what to say to and

    promote among the potential buyers of its products. Regardless of how successful an ad is in

    terms of making the brand better known, companies should never disregard the importance of

    ethics when choosing their marketing tools. That is, it is through these marketing channels that

    the consumer perceives a brand and develops its overall image. If a company chooses to use a

    marketing method that is rather controversial, it is almost impossible to avoid negative feedback

    and moreover a negative effect on the corporate image that is directly related to the amounts of

    sales and revenues. I am certain that Reebok has gained as much as it has lost through this

    incident and will make better choices in the future by focusing not only on its sales but also on

    promoting ethical behaviors on its customers.

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