A few weeks ago the story broke about the not-so-PC name thought up by the Russian oil firm Gazprom thought up with the Nigeria’s state-operated NNPC.
Debate (or faux pas) has reached the mainstream headlines as the online backlash has grown. What I can’t understand is how the ‘branding consultant’ Simon Anholt quoted in the BBC article and who developed the National Brand Index, came up with the following:
The fact is that whenever there is a blunder like this it delights people, it gives them something to talk about and it gives them a bright moment in what might otherwise be a dull day.
And
People will soon forget that the name sounds bad
Errr… As far as I know, that name has been offensive for hundreds of years now.
I’ll leave last words to the ever offensive Chris Rock. Perhaps they consulted him on the name change.
Eb Adeyeri - Being social 