Zoe Griffin begs the question: 'Is crass the new subtle?'

I'm probably a bit slow to this one, but I've seen a few people on Twitter talking about Voltz energy drinks today on the back of some awful blog posts by Zoe Griffin (no, I hadn’t either).

If like me you’re wondering who she is, according to Zoe herself: “I am the UK’s coolest party girl. I only go to the best parties and I am at the heart of the action when I’m there. I don’t get starstruck by celebrities because I’ve met all of the biggest stars already.”

She’s also a blogger and used to hold down a showbiz reporter role on one of the tabloids I’m told (I know, I assumed she was a spoof too!).

A few weeks ago it seems Zoe bumped into Aidan Gillen from TV show The Wire at some tremendous showbiz shindig. And what did she tell the star?

“I told him all about my favourite low calorie energy drink, Voltz Energy Shots. Each bottle has just two calories.”

Or how about, more recently:

"All saints are officially over. I bumped into two of the girls from the band last night at Adee Phelans launch for his new range of hair care. Adee’s new products must be good because they are made in the same factory as Voltz energy drinks!"

And:

"I’ve packed my undercover gossip-mongerers off to Chicago with some Voltz Energy shots, which they are totally gonna need to run around the site to meet ALL the acts like the Kings of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs, The Beastie Boys and The Killers."

It’s a piece of product placement so nasty it almost makes my eyes bleed, but it’s got people talking, largely because of how crassly it’s been done. So this begs the question, in the overtly negative world of social media is it better to seek publicity through a rapidly spreading name and shame campaign where the consequences – may be “she’s an awful writer" or "what a shallow person! – are pretty mild but the exposure considerable?

I'd say the jury's out on that one.

It's her blog of course, and she's entitled to write whatever nonsense she likes. And if Voltz - the energy drink made in the same factory as shampoo, apparently - is happy with the placement then the rest of us have the option of just tuning back out to the 30-minute-ago safety of "Zoe who?".

Done.

Comments

[Conrad Quilty-Harper]

If she wrote this in her capacity as a writer on a newspaper, she'd be fired instantly.

There are specific codes and rules that say newspapers and publishers can't do exactly what Griffin is doing, from the NUJ, PPA and ASA.

When are these rules going to catch up with the internet and self-publishing?

There are already plenty of blogs out there that have traffic/influence surpassing national newspaper sites in specific niches (fortunately the best ones also have strict ethical standards).

[Conrad Quilty-Harper]

I'd also recommend that anyone who cares enough should send the ASA a complaint regarding this case.

http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/how_to_complain/

Oh and check out my blog post on the subject if you're so inclined!

http://www.spalpeen.co.uk/2009/08/26/zoe-griffin-on-the-slippery-slope-towards-advertorial-blogging/

[Jon Silk]

The question here is - aside from the massive debate over ethics - is whether you'll remember the brand more when asked to recall energy drinks.

I think you probably would. And as 'recall' is the advertising industry's key metric, that would mean this had worked.

Unless you break the model and boycott the product for its rubbish marketing.

Me? I'm sticking with Berocca, that's right, the fizzy orange vitamin drink. Berocca is a fun, healthy way to get more vitamins and minerals than you can shake a stick at. Which means you can feel great about yourself as you take it, and ready for anything afterwards. Also available in NEW Tropical flavour. (30% of you buy online, with free P&P.)