Some brands find themselves inadvertently caught up in conflicts or buzz that they didn’t initiate. This was the case for Casio, Rolex, Twingo, and Ferrari, which found themselves dragged into a conflict and a lovers’ spat between Shakira and Gerard Piqué, through a song.
Stars likening themselves to brands
In one of her latest songs, which quickly set viewing records within hours, Shakira decided to take aim at her ex-partner, Gerard Piqué. Within 24 hours, her track amassed over 63 million views on the YouTube video platform. While not uncommon in itself, the singer chose to compare brands by devaluing some. Once translated, the lyrics, hinting at infidelity, result in: “You traded a Ferrari for a Twingo, a Rolex for a Casio.” It’s clear that this comparison devalues Casio and Twingo in favor of Ferrari and Rolex.
In this case, it’s amusing to note that the brands chose to use humor on the internet and social media rather than responding with hostility to polish their image. This elegant approach was applauded by internet users.
Responses from Renault & Casio
The responses didn’t take long to come from the automotive brand, and Renault Argentina chimed in with its musical note: “Many don’t need a luxury car to be happy, but ask our customers who love life with a Twingo! #LoveTwingo”.
Renault, in Colombia (Shakira’s home country), also decided to react: “Piqué may not deserve another chance, Shakira, but the Twingo certainly does.” To which they added the subtle phrase, “Twingo will love you forever, Shakira. We promise.” As for internet users, visibly amused, they responded with photos of themselves next to their favorite cars or with memes.
Casio had a similar reaction with relevant tweets such as “Tired of your old Rolex? Come try the new Casio. Clearly, you’ll love it,” or “Shakira can criticize us by saying ‘You traded a Rolex for a Casio,’ but no Rolex ever came out with a calculator, built-in microphone, and radio antenna like in the Casio TM-100.” In another tweet, they didn’t hesitate to add that the battery life of Casio watches lasts longer than the relationship between Shakira and Piqué. The reaction from Casio fans was equally positive, with photos showing them wearing their Casio watches, evidently worn for many years.
A parody account joins the fray
Defining herself as an object by identifying with a Rolex and a Ferrari surely wasn’t the best idea for the singer. On Friday, January 13, a parody account of the Casio watch brand decided to ride the wave and create buzz on Twitter. This account posted: “Shakira, we may not be a Rolex, but it’s clear our customers are loyal to us.” Granted, it’s basic humor, but it garnered over 540,000 likes and 10,000 retweets. Effective! It’s worth noting that many believed it was the official account of the brand, and Casio had to deny this on their Spanish Instagram account over the weekend.
Stars can also take aim at you!
Sometimes a brand can attract the ire of a star. This was the case for H&M, which had to pull its Justin Bieber collection on Tuesday, December 20, after a furious post from the star. The Swedish brand stated they did so “out of respect for the collaboration and Justin Bieber” and added, “we have removed the clothing from our stores and online,” an unusual clash with the brand with which he regularly collaborates. The range included sweaters, T-shirts, and phone accessories. In this instance, Justin Bieber compared the collection to junk, nothing less! He added that he hadn’t given his approval and declared, “The H&M merch they made with my name is junk, and I didn’t approve it. Don’t buy it.” A real storm! The star expressed his views in a story on his Instagram account. The brand still defended itself, stating, “As with all other licensed products and partnerships, H&M followed appropriate approval procedures.”
