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Ann Summers and Marks and Spencers - a squeal too far- 06/05/2011
In the face of threatened legal action from Marks & Spencer, Ann Summers has been forced to withdraw its ‘Your S&M Squeal Deal’, a parody of the ‘Your M&S’ £10 Meal Deal.
Ann Summers’ promotional material, using the M&S black and lime green, appeared on the company’s website, packaging and in its shop windows offering a £29 “S&M Squeal Deal” of a main, side and dessert, from its range of products.
The promotion was aimed at livening up the Bank Holiday and was described by Jacqueline Gold, CEO of Ann Summers, as a respectful but humorous take on M&S’ iconic advertisements.
M&S was not amused commenting: “Over the past 127 years, Marks & Spencer has built up a great reputation for quality and trust in the hearts and minds of the British public… When we believe these values are being infringed, we do whatever we can to protect our brand and our customers”.
No doubt the Ann Summers’ campaign was intended to be a jokey spin on a classic and the ensuing controversy can only have helped promote sales of Ann Summers products. With legal action threatened though, Jacqueline Gold did accept that with hindsight the campaign had perhaps been a “squeal too far”.
Rachael Parman, Manches’ retail and IP expert commented, “The British public may not have believed that M&S was embarking upon an unlikely liaison with Ann Summers, however, when one brand mimics that of another, it can cause significant damage to reputation. It is conceivable that a loyal M&S customer may stop purchasing from them had it not taken action. In these tough times, no retailer can afford to lose its loyal customer base”.
“In addition, the Ann Summers campaign took advantage of a hugely-successful advertising campaign, no doubt created at considerable expense, by M&S. At a time when M&S would usually launch its own promotions, the controversy is likely to have drawn attention away from genuine M&S promotions. It is pointless spending time and money creating a campaign and enhancing brand reputation to then allow a third party to freely use it.”