How PR stunts can go horribly wrong

German advertising agency Sassenbach came up with what appeared to be a great idea to create awareness for the ‘wind and weather proof’ messaging for the Mini Cooper.

The problem is that the stunt involved paying to name the cold front, now sweeping Europe, ‘Cooper’ after the Mini Cooper – a cold front that has claimed many lives.

Germany’s meteorology institute allows the sponsorship of weather systems and the advertisig agency says on its website that naming the front after the open-air vehicle was a “wind- and weather-proof idea”.

It encouraged people to follow the path of the weather on meteorological websites and has also named a warmer weather front that will follow this one “Minnie”. BMW has apologised for the stunt, which cost the advertising firm 229 euros (£190).

This just shows how careful you need to be with PR stunts and how they can back fire! A great shame as it was a good idea.

By the way, can you get waeather insurance for naming a weather front?

Click here for more info on the BBC