Mr. Balls vs. Fukuppy the Fukushima Egg
There are few things with as much facepalm potential as a complete branding or marketing fail. You know – the kind that somehow made it out of someone’s head, and through a marketing meeting, and a focus group, and senior management, and an advertising agency, and past a whole plethora of eyeballs without anyone noticing, or pointing out the obvious.
But just this very month, there have been two failures that are so positively spectacular, and horrifying, and wrong, we simply had to share. We were compelled, and we apologize in advance.
First, we head to Brazil, where a testicular cancer awareness group would like you to say hello to “Mr. Balls,” or as he’s known to the locals, “Senhor Testiculo.” The bug-eyed, buck-toothed, human-sized scrotum can be worn by an actual person, who can mingle with other actual people and then never, ever put it on his/her resume.
Don’t you just want to pinch his rosy little cheeks, and muss his shock of dark curly hair?
No, you do not.
And neither, it appears, does the small confused child in the photo. Or anyone else.
What could possibly top this, you ask?
Off we go to Japan, where we present “Fukuppy” the Fukushima Industries egg.
Perhaps if this was a Fukushima Industries associated with the one that is having that nuclear leakage issue in the Pacific Ocean, we might praise the company for their candid, albeit disturbingly cheerful acknowledgment of their own giant “fukuppy” as it were. Alas, this little guy is not associated with Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant, but is the mascot of a hapless refrigerator company in Osaka, hundreds of miles away.
Its only disaster was not vetting the Western name of the unfortunate, and weirdly happy radiating egg, which has now been removed from the website.
That poor child’s sex life is off to a miserable start.
AC/DC Balls – …yikes…
Need the fukuppy t-shirt. Neeeeeed, I say.
(Mr. Balls – ummm..not so much )
!!!!!! 😉
that kid is going to have nightmares. =)
If Mr. Balls significant other was a dick like Cheney or Snowdrift Snookie,the seperation was inevitable and too late and malicious and torturous and costly and rancorous and certainly not the fault of the aforementioned miscreants. The other abomination certainly describes them rascals,depending on the pronunciation.
While we are celebrating great marketing misfires, let us take a moment to reflect that long, long ago, in a movie production meeting far, far away, somebody said:
“The kids will love him! And we will call him . . . Jar-Jar Binks!”
meesa thinks, mr balls looks like a happy jabba the hut.
We tend to agree 🙂
Does the costume for Brasil’s counterpart for breast cancer awareness require 2 volunteers?
Oh, and Fukuppy FTW.
“Does the costume for Brasil’s counterpart for breast cancer awareness require 2 volunteers?”
you can count on my support. 😉
this post made me very fukappy.