Sealing its doom with a kiss

Snickers had planned to extend the life of its "Mechanics" spot - which depicted macho mechanics reacting badly to an unintentional kiss - by asking people to vote on multiple endings, with the favored ending to premiere during the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, writes Promo Magazine (via Consumer Lab).

However, any future for "Mechanics" now seems bleak, because it has apparently drawn condemnation from rights groups like the Gay & Lesibian Alliance Against Defamation and Human Rights Campaign, which said the campaign promoted violence against gays, reports MediaPost. TBWAChiatDay in New York created the campaign.

Originally, a tagline sent viewers to SnickersSatisfies.com to vote for one of four endings. Three of them are variations on the theme of "something manly" reaction to the kiss: pulling out their chest hair, drinking motor oil, or bashing each other with a giant wrench. The fourth ending brings in a third mechanic who asks, "Is there enough room for three in this love boat?"

Some advertisers, noted Gartner Research Director Mike McGuire, might be under the false impression that anything goes online. "It's not just about connecting with your target audience," McGuire said.

"For good or ill, the internet dramatically increases awareness and reach. That's difficult to control, and can be very dangerous."