2. Unauthorized M. Night Shyamalan Documentary is Actually a Publicity Stunt
Number two on this year's list could actually double and make its way on the Best Advertising/PR Moves of 2004 list. A three hour program promoted as an unauthorized documentary of M. Night Shyamalan captivated viewers with its promises of a "disturbing expose" that had Shyamalan ready to shut down production on the documentary when producers got too close to secrets of his personal life.
The documentary turned out to be a complete production Shyamalan was in on to help promote the movie release of "The Village." The Sci Fi Channel and NBC Universal admitted the program was just a publicity stunt but before the stunt was revealed, news organizations around the world released articles about the controversial documentary that Shyamalan had walked out of in the middle of production.
NBC, which recently took over the Sci Fi Channel, said, "We would never intend to offend the public or the press and value our relationship with both." NBC and the Sci Fi channel bore the brunt of the publicity stunt. The debacle worked for Shyamalan, though, whose movie went on to gross more than $100 million to date.
1. Janet Jackson's "Wardrobe Malfunction"
The wardrobe malfunction seen around the world earns the top spot on the Worst Advertising/PR Moves of 2004 list. Fines, complaints, apologies, stricter rules, boycotts. You name it. The "accidental" peep show caused it.
Within minutes of Janet Jackson's breast being exposed on live TV, The NFL, CBS and MTV all went into damage control mode, issuing press releases saying the incident was unintentional. The FCC received a record 500,000+ complaints.
The damage was done and 2004 became the year of the indecent programming claims. The FCC fined each of the 20 CBS-owned TV stations $27,500, the maximum indecency penalty. CBS is still fighting the $550,000 grand total, which is also the largest fine a television broadcaster has ever faced.
Jackson's exposure has been referred to all year with new indecency program charges being filed with the FCC for a variety of alleged incidents. The most recent indecency claim comes from Nicollette Sheridan's towel-dropping on Monday Night Football. Networks airing live shows have instituted enhanced tape delays to prevent offensive words or actions from hitting the airwaves. FCC investigations continue to find violations, with Viacom recently being fined $3.5 million for shows like CSI, Big Brother and the 2002 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Have a great year and may you make the Best Advertising/PR Moves of 2005 list!