McDonald’s just can’t seem to learn their lesson after two botched Twitter campaigns. In recap, the restaurant launched a Twitter hashtag campaign in January called #McDStories that soon devolved into Twitter users bashing the fast food restaurant. They tried it again a week later with a new, less innocuous campaign called #LittleThings. Too bad for them the campaign was again hijacked by those wanting to mock the brand.
Things have been silent lately on the Twitter front, but McDonald’s launched a new campaign this week to celebrate their annual Shamrock Shake. The hashtag is #shamrocking and it encourages fans of the shake to take a picture of themselves dancing an Irish gig while holding the drink.
Have u seen/tried the latest trend of #Shamrocking? Peeps R so excited 4 Shamrock Shake they’re literally dancing 4 joy mcd.to/wn5Lw2
— McDonald’s (@McDonalds) March 12, 2012
The pictures over on their Buzzfeed are pretty humorous and show people having fun. All seems good for McDonald’s now and nothing could possibly go wrong, right?
As it turns out, Shamrocking is already slang in use that’s defined over at Urban Dictionary. Let’s just say it’s an adult form of art class.
Fortunately, most of the tweets seem to be playing along in good fun. There were some people, however, who took the opportunity to make fun of McDonald’s or their misinformed choice of hashtag.
#Shamrocking, McD’s? Really? Unless there’s a little of the Captain in that shake, I don’t think so.
— Danny Thompson (@HappySAHD) March 15, 2012
#shamrocking just made me think of the shocker.\\./
— Sam Cuomo (@samcuomo) March 15, 2012
I’m pretty sure I’ve pinpointed the key ingredient in this shake: cologne. #shamrocking
— Jim Walls(@FuriousJim) March 15, 2012
What do they call a leprechaun with elephantitis? #Shamrocking
— *BR3N (@MrGuyver6) March 14, 2012
@AdFreak My Irish heritage has been hijacked by an embarrassing hashtag.#shamrocking
— Brian Callahan (@Homefrontllc) March 14, 2012
For me #Shamrocking would be the medical term used for the diabetic tremors I’d get after consuming a drink with 74g of sugar. #diabetes
— Allyson Finch Wilson (@allyson_wilson) March 14, 2012
Look McDonald’s, I like the Shamrock Shake more than most people do, but next time, read up on what the Internet thinks of your words. Chances are Urban Dictionary has already defined it, and it will be something filthy. I don’t want to dissuade you from using social media, but be prepared for the Internet to turn whatever you do into something completely different.
[Source: PaidContent]