There’s nothing quite like bad publicity to get people talking. The moment an advert is censored or removed, it gains a life of its own—circulating in WhatsApp groups, popping up at dinner conversations, and going viral across social media.
Recently, Nando’s proved this again with a cheeky advert poking fun at Woolworths after their black shopping bags mysteriously changed to semi-transparent white ones. This followed businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s testimony to Parliament’s Ad hoc committee, where he said that he used a Woolworths black shopping bag to deliver R300 000 to former police minister Bheki Cele.
Within days, the bags changed.
Within hours, the jokes landed.
Nando’s advert may have been removed, but the memes, TikTok’s and screenshots are circulating, even in conversations at my dinner party last night.
Humour, controversy, a little disruption
When used intentionally, it can amplify your message beyond paid media.
In my keynote, Pitch in the Way Michael Jordan Would Say Yes, I share a similar story—the NBA’s ban on the original Air Jordan 1.
At the time, the league required that players’ shoes be 51% white and aligned with team colours. Michael’s shoes didn’t comply, and Nike was fined $1,000 for Jordan wearing them. Nike saw this as a huge marketing opportunity. And paid fines up to $80,000—until the shoes were officially banned.
Then they did something brilliant: They released a provocative advert highlighting the ban.
Nike’s goal? Sell 100,000 pairs in the first year. The result? 1.5 million pairs sold in the first six weeks (Forbes).
I first learned about the power of scarcity and censorship through Robert Cialdini’s work. The moment something is restricted—an advert we’re “not supposed” to see, shoes an athlete is “not allowed” to wear, or music that’s suddenly “off-limits”—our curiosity spikes. We lean in. We find a way.
It’s one of the most fascinating levers of persuasion: when access is denied, desire increases.
So it raises an important question: Does bad publicity truly exist?
Often, our biggest breakthroughs come from bold choices. From challenging norms. From leaning into the moments when we’re told, “You can’t.”
Because if your message is strong enough, even being banned can become your greatest advantage.
Sources: