10 spots left to join us for the Digiday Publishing Summit

Join us Sept. 14-16 in Miami to connect with top publishing leaders

SECURE YOUR SEAT

5 Bad Brand VMA Tweets

Whether it’s a cultural or sporting event, like the Super Bowl, or a natural disaster, like Hurricane Sandy, brands seem to be forever angling for ways to insert themselves into trending online conversations – for better or worse.

This time it might not be for better. MTV’s Video Music Awards were held last night and, predictably, brands just couldn’t resist chiming in. Here are five of the more-awkward social attempts. Are there any others we missed?:

Taco Bell


Yes. For Subway.

Red Bull

This is a surprisingly forced tweet from a brand that constantly receives deserved praise for being so innovative.

Red Cross Oklahoma

This is a fairly clumsy attempt at glomming on to the N’SYNC chatter. But at least it’s for a good cause.

Coca-Cola

Just, don’t.

Domino’s

This joke was old 10 years ago. Hopefully your pizzas arrive more quickly than your zingers.

Image via Shutterstock

More in Marketing

Illustration of a performer balancing money weights on a tightrope, symbolizing how brand safety tools help marketers maintain performance and control.

Future of Marketing Briefing: The public ad tech era is over

Gone are the days when investors got themselves in a tizzy over ad networks, demand-side platforms and supply-side platforms on their own merits.

By the numbers: Wall Street’s tough assessment of ad tech

Big Tech continues to dominate digital growth, triggering a Wall Street exodus, but are returns imminent?

CMOs are struggling to link AI visibility with sales

Brands are spending on tools that rate their visibility within LLM responses and AI search, but proving the commercial impact of GEO remedies isn’t easy.