Published: 06:45 EST, 14 October 2024 | Updated: 09:53 EST, 14 October 2024
- New Zealand Seafood company Sealord aired an advertisement starring Heidi Montag last month
- The commercial was slammed on social media
- Sealord was criticised for spending too much money on advertising when they are cutting employment
- Last month, they cut 97 jobs at their Nelson wetfish factory
A New Zealand Seafood company has ditched an advertisement starring Heidi Montag after getting savaged on social media.
The ad featured the 28-year-old Big Brother actor asking a crowd of people inside a function what they thought about Sealord frozen fish fillets.
Sealord delivers $500 million worth of Seafood to people in more than 30 countries each year.
The advertisement features the 28-year-old Big Brother actor asking a crowd of people inside a function what they think about Sealord frozen fish fillets
The ad was condemned by viewers, who took to social media to express their disapproval
The ad was condemned by viewers, who took to social media to express their disapproval.
Adam Johnston wrote: ‘It always amazes me how large companies manage to screw up ad campaigns. Your marketing department is taking a bath on this one.’
‘What the hell were you thinking hiring this plastic has been wannabe ?????? You idiots’ wrote Toni Ellis.
Last month, Sealord announced it was cutting 97 jobs at its Nelson wetfish factory, which is about 13 per cent of the total workforce.
Some users criticised the company for spending money on celebrities at a time when they are making workers redundant.
‘How much did she get paid ??’ wrote Sandra Mclean. ‘How many staff could that have kept in employ ?’
Libby Bruhn wrote ‘I won’t support a company who would rather spend thousands of dollars on that crap then spending in in our own country and she comes across like she is taken [sic]the piss.’
Sealord responded to the criticism with a post on their Facebook page that announced they had scrapped the original commercial.
‘We heard you NZ! You told us that you loved our REAL fish but not Heidi Montag. So, we listened and changed our TV Ad to star only REAL people.’
Some users claimed it was all part of an elaborate scheme.
Courtnay Adele wrote:’Seems like a bit of a marketing scheme to me.’
Wendy Slieker said: ‘Perfect marketing campaign. Get people hating the ad and then change it citing public feedback.’
Sealord were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.