Shockvertising: Is it working?

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/todays-paper/shockvertising+spreads+through+media+clutter/2145422/story.html

Summary

This article is about how a woman was allegedly being stalked by a marketing campaign that included emails, videos and even a guy following you. She started a $10 million lawsuit accusing Toyota.
Nowadays with the demand for being noticed, 'Shockvertising' will only increase. It has become a major point now in marketing as big companies like Boost Mobile, Diesel, Aylmer pasta and MTV Canada have started this new trend of shockvertising. There are of course risks to this new trend, there has to be a limit, otherwise going too far will land companies in huge lawsuits sort of like Toyota, where 10,000 people like the ad and just one is rebelling against it.

Connections

Companies are taking big risks by turning to shockvertising. Its true that some people are getting offended but majority of the people will probably enjoy it and remember the company that the commercial was advertising. The more odd and obscene it is, the more it will be stuck in our heads. They are in a way using demographics and niche marketing at the same time. Using demographics, they can see which media they can apply shockvertising to (Internet, newspaper etc.), and get success. Then with that information, they can easily make the advertisement unique so it appeals to a certain group of people that they are targeting. This would be niche marketing.
And what is allowing all the companies to do this? Freedom. The freedom that lets them do whatever they want. Even send people after you, follow your every move.

Reflections

In the end, I give thumbs up to all those cool and unique ads, but thumbs down to companies like Toyota and their extreme usage of shockvertising. For ads like Aylmer Pasta that show an angry chef, I'm fine with that. There could be an angry chef in a kitchen; there probably is one in every single kitchen. What Toyota did was unacceptable. If I were the lady I would've have sued them for even more. From the company’s point of view, this allows them to put up more controversial ads that may put them on the spot but it will also give them the limelight they have always wanted. And as for me, I will be keeping an eye out for these unique "shockvertisments."