By Robert Goldrich
The social media dynamic is tantamount to the proverbial double-edged sword.
Consider the case of General Mills, parent company to such brands as the venerable Cheerios. Last year, the company was commended for its response to mean-spirited feedback on YouTube. Last month, it earned well-deserved criticism for behavior which sparked social media rancor.
The former laudable incident came with the debut of a Cheerios ad which gave us a slice of life in which a girl asks her mom if eating Cheerios is good for your heart. Mom replies in the affirmative. Next we see dad waking from a nap on the living room couch with a pile of Cheerios on his chest—clearly placed there by a daughter who loves him dearly.
In what amounted to a sad commentary, this touching addition to the cereal’s “Heart Healthy” campaign wasn’t well received by some because of the family it depicted—an African-American father, a white mom and a biracial child. So much bigoted vitriol surfaced on YouTube that Cheerios requested the comments section be turned off. But the negative remarks were followed by an outpouring of public support for the commercial.
Cheerios stood by the fictitious family. Camille Gibson, VP of marketing for Cheerios, said, “We felt like we were reflecting an American family.” Cheerios went on to bring back the family to star in its Super Bowl spot this year.
Fast forward to just a few weeks ago, though, and Cheerios’ parent General Mills was on the wrong side of a situation in which social media feedback played a part. General Mills sought to deny customers their right to sue or join class-action lawsuits against the company—requiring arbitration instead—once they downloaded an online coupon or participated in other General Mills offerings.
Clearly, the company tried to pull a fast one on its valued customers. Customers for the most part had no idea they were entering into a contract stripping them of the right to a day in court—a contract that took effect because they merely wanted to strike up an online relationship with a “trusted” brand.
Once this “contract” became public knowledge, the backlash was forceful, causing General Mills to relent and perhaps reflect on both the promise and peril of customer relations and social media word of mouth.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More