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Motorola Moto X ‘got wood’ marketing fail: company silently removes all sex jokes

posted by Victor H. / Aug 02, 2013, 6:38 AM

Motorola Moto X ‘got wood’ marketing fail: company silently removes all sex jokes

Motorola has become a different company under Google and the newly announced Moto X is the first handset that truly shows this transformation. The device is met with mixed reactions, but it is obviously hugely important for Motorola and its parent company Google as it is said to have allocated a whopping $500 million to market it.

That marketing effort might have started on the wrong foot, though, as initial ads for the Moto X were filled with sexual innuendo. From Motorola’s ‘Yep. We’ve got wood.’ tweet (we really hope there’s no need to explain this, is there?) to a penis joke and a ‘that’s what she said’ ad, people just started noticing.

Motorola’s weird marketing decision to go with sex jokes quickly started backfiring and now the company has decided to quietly erase all those obviously inappropriate joke from the official marketing materials for the phone.

Take a look at what Motorola changed quickly and silently.

Motorola Moto X ‘got wood’ marketing fail: company silently removes all sex jokes

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source: Business Insider

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22 Comments

1. tiara6918

Posts: 2263; Member since: Apr 26, 2012

Dirty, dirty move...hahaha

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 6:43 AM 13

9. Nathan_ingx

Posts: 4769; Member since: Mar 07, 2012

"2k+ more combos. Designed by you."...lol.

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 8:18 AM 0

2. darkskoliro

Posts: 1092; Member since: May 07, 2012

Im having a good laugh :) haha, I like a chilled out company! Not always in your face about competition.

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 6:45 AM 13

3. itsdeepak4u2000

Posts: 3718; Member since: Nov 03, 2012

That was awesome.

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 6:47 AM 6

4. xperiaDROID

Posts: 5629; Member since: Mar 08, 2013

LMAO! Dirty, but awesome!

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 7:01 AM 5

5. EXkurogane

Posts: 863; Member since: Mar 07, 2013

I just read an article on a non-tech site days ago, and the title of that article is "Got Wood", and it was directed at a sexual joke in that article.

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 7:09 AM 5

6. gazmatic

Posts: 807; Member since: Sep 06, 2012

the whole campaign sounds like it was written by a horny 14 year old virgin

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 7:19 AM 14

11. ebubekir26

Posts: 337; Member since: Dec 21, 2012

puahaaahahahahaha xD

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 9:47 AM 0

7. sipha

Posts: 440; Member since: May 12, 2012

They realy dont seem that bad to me!!

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 7:22 AM 7

8. Danishs

Posts: 147; Member since: May 23, 2013

Trying to appeal of teenagers fail

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 8:12 AM 1

10. XPERIA-KNIGHT unregistered

funny as hell lool XD

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 9:46 AM 0

12. JojoGo101

Posts: 211; Member since: Dec 17, 2012

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 11:03 AM 0

15. Shatter

Posts: 2036; Member since: May 29, 2013

for $575 Galaxy S4 is a better option. Sorry Motorola $400/$450 for 32gb at max for this phone off contract.

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 2:49 PM 1

13. roscuthiii

Posts: 2383; Member since: Jul 18, 2010

Too bad for them the Moto X isn't going to be available in Europe off the bat. They don't have any problems with marketing like this. But the "USSR" (the United States of Sexual Repression) of course will raise a stink over it and pull the ads. Just the other day, my gf was showing me an ad that appeared on a UK online news site (maybe the Telegraph?) about a company called Hello Flo. They discreetly deliver feminine hygiene products to girls starting their "cycles" so they don't have to be embarrassed about it. Delivers to places like summer camp and stuff. The whole thing is narrated by some approximately young girl who says, "It's like Santa for your vag!"

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 11:08 AM 1

16. Shatter

"United States of Sexual Repression" Its to opposite of that, maybe 50 years ago but not anymore. You don't have nude people roaming the streets but its everywhere you go.

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 2:50 PM 0

19. roscuthiii

Yeah, it's a bit hyperbolic. But only in social connotations. The FCC controlled Standards & Practices that are imposed over much of American Media is a whole lot more strict than that of other countries.

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 5:13 PM 0

14. Azurus

Posts: 12; Member since: Apr 22, 2013

we can use a little bit of dirty ads from time to time =P besides who doesnt have that little dirty mind that he/she would like to give it a laugh from time to time =D

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 11:57 AM 0

17. HildyJ

Posts: 338; Member since: Aug 11, 2012

There's almost no such thing as bad publiciy. How many publications, web sites, and even news shows mentioned Moto's campaign. I suspect it generated no more than a groan or a bemused smile from most smartphone owners and it got them tons of free publicity. Then they removed it and the bad press will vanish in a few days but more people have heard of the Moto X and that means more potential customers.

posted on Aug 02, 2013, 3:18 PM 1

18. roldefol

Posts: 4744; Member since: Jan 28, 2011

I was about to say the same thing! They turn heads with a racy campaign, gauge the response in real-time, then adjust as necessary. Free publicity + quiet cover-up = win.