Funny isn’t it? people love controversy – journalists especially.

However, much of the time when we’re acting on behalf of our clients, we actively avoid controversy. Our job is to create multi disciplined marketing campaigns that communicate specific messages that enhance our clients’ business. We need to shift products or services.

But now and again, when the cap fits, we do court a little controversy – even a little rivalry if it benefits our client’s cause.

For example, we once highlighted the massive price difference in house prices between two towns just 4 miles apart for an estate agent who had plenty of houses to shift in the cheaper town. The difference was vast; equating to an average of £150,000 in the price of a four bedroom house – in 4 miles!

So we hired a Ferrari for the day (there are perks now and again) and we positioned it in front of a road sign that directed traffic to either town. Imagine our surprise when local media turned up to photograph our client, in the Ferrari, explaining to all and sundry that if they moved just 4 miles down the road they could buy a similar car with the savings they would make.

The beauty of this type of campaign is that you generally light the blue touch paper and retire. Now and again you have to give the story a little nudge to keep it on track, but it tends to run itself as people start to voice their own opinions. In this instance a local councillor made herself very unpopular when she tried to defend the more expensive town a little too zealously; which of course resulted in more column inches.

The reason for telling you this is to explain my recent behaviour. Regular visitors to our blog pages will recall that I am a Formula 1 fan. As you can imagine, I was right royally (censored) off last Sunday evening when Lewis Hamilton was penalised for making the sport exciting again. I can’t tell you how angry I was – I needed to vent as soon as possible.

I got into work early on Monday, sat down at my keyboard and decided to write. Irony and sarcasm were bound to feature heavily in my prose in an attempt to avoid ‘hard cheese’ style anger and insults. I then felt duty bound to email the resultant copy to my friends and thereby ‘light the blue touchpaper’.

Here is the result.

Got a Ferrari?

Not quite good enough at driving?

Are other boys faster than you in the wet?

Then you need Ferrari International Assistance (FIA).

This exclusive Ferrari only membership club has many benefits. Including:

• Anti overtaking assurance
o Been overtaken? Feel a bit silly? Don’t worry, we’ll rule out the other party – even if it’s embarrassingly obvious that they’re faster than you
• Exclusive access to a secret ‘second lane’ in the pits
o Just to make things a little bit easier we’ve arranged a private second lane – just for you
• Guaranteed world championship?
o Had a crash? Need to win the world championship? Don’t worry just limp across the track and take off your nearest championship title contender - we’ll do the rest
• A bit strapped? Need extra cash?
o Simply get one of your team to tell someone else how you make your cars. We’ll guarantee a $100,000,000 windfall so that the rich get richer!
• Bits falling off your car? Looking a bit dangerous?
o At Ferrari International Assistance we operate a ‘blind eye’ policy just for Ferrari drivers
• Been a bit silly? Taken off another driver whilst following the safety car?
o It’s ok, as long as you didn’t hurt yourself. I mean, who are Force India anyway? And how dare they be in front of you
• A bit bored? Want some extra action?
o With FIA plus you can take part in a number of additional membership activities including the popular ‘kill your pit crew’ game
• Not sure when you might need us next?
o Relax. Check out our track record. We’re confident that we’ll be able to make something up on the spot that will get you out of any pickle that you might find yourself in

Bonus offer!

* Censored for blog *

Ferrari International Assistance - Making it up as we go along for over 100 years

The beauty of this ‘viral’ email is that it captured the mood. McLaren fans were angry, many resorted to expletives, detrimental comments and slurs in order to try and get their points across; but this just sounded like sour grapes. Sarcasm is better – Sarcasm rules!

Just three days after I syndicated the email I became aware that it had been forwarded to people throughout Europe. It’s impossible to measure exactly how far it has reached, but I am aware that it has been translated in Germany, Italy and Spain. Not bad for 30 minutes work....

And now the bloggers have started.

Google ‘Ferrari International Assistance - Making it up as we go along for over 100 years’ and see for yourself. Indeed, some bloggers have tried to claim it as their own but hey, if it gets the message across....

Let me get one thing clear - I don’t dislike Ferrari, I love racing and therefore could never dislike one of the most successful teams in F1 history. I do however disagree with the increasingly apparent (in my personal opinion) bias of the FIA towards Ferrari. Ferrari doesn’t need this type of assistance, the team is good enough to challenge for a win by racing wheel to wheel; just the way we like it.

Roll on Monza!

• Steve's blog
• Add new comment