Facebook campaign gone too far? Model strips for Likes

Brands are getting more and more creative when it comes to encouraging Facebook users to click those ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ buttons to make their campaigns go viral. One campaign that might not have a very hard time achieving its goal comes courtesy of the Amsterdam branch of fashion brand, Stüssy.

AdRants points to a Facebook campaign which is calling for Stüssy’s fans to click the ‘Like’ button on their photos using an incentive. That seems normal enough, until you realise that the incentive is that the more Likes the picture receives, the more clothes come off of the model in the photo.

While “Like to see less” doesn’t really tell us much about how far this brand, and model, are willing to go for a few Likes, we all know Facebook has a strict policy on nudity, so we’re guessing that the brand won’t be taking things that far.

The problem with the campaign, however, besides the glaringly objectifying angle that it’s taken, is that it could be in violation of Facebook’s Terms of Service.

Facebook’s promotional guidelines read, “You must not use Facebook features or functionality, such as the Like button, as a voting mechanism for a promotion.”

While this guideline does refer to a “promotion (such as competition or sweepstake)”, the wording is vague enough that, if Facebook wanted to shut this campaign down, it looks like it would be perfectly within its right.

Amsterdam Ad Blog points out the effectiveness of the campaign as a marketing tool, which encourages users to come back to the Facebook page:

What’s smart about it is that once you’ve liked the stripper, you’ll be inclined to come back and see what her status is. On top of that you’ll see a whole bunch of Stüssy clothes; she thus actually becomes a catwalk stripper.

While Amsterdam Ad Blog sees this campaign in a positive light, the use of the word stripper in association with your brandname isn’t necessarily something you would want, now is it? Particularly when you also sell women’s clothing.

That doesn’t appear to be the case for Stüssy, or Arnold Amsterdam, the agency behind the blog, which happily tweets the “nice writeup” to its followers.

The ad campaign is clearly pointing directly at Stüssy’s male audience, and could easily end up alienating half its consumer base. While it may do its part to boost the Dutch page’s modest fan-following of just over 360, it’s safe to assume that the majority are hitting the ‘Like’ button for all the wrong reasons.

Stüssy certainly isn’t the first or last brand to go a little too far for a Like. Last year North Social put together a series of videos, something of a ‘how-not-to’ gain more Facebook fans.

Do you think Stüssy’s belongs in that category is or is it just a bit of harmless fun? Let us know in the comments.