PHD attracts web's scorn for promo video
Most media and marketing agencies are used to receiving a little light ribbing from their peers. But spare a thought for PHD Worldwide which has become the talk of the internet over its controversial promo film.
The We Are The Future film, which shows a group of teenagers earnestly spouting trendy media lingo, has been watched more than 30,000 times, 'disliked' 772 times on YouTube and even spawned spoofs.
PHD can at least legitimately claim that it has gone viral.
But waves of negative comments have flowed in on YouTube and Twitter, and not just from peers in the marketing business. The comedian Dave Gorman tweeted: "This marketing vid is a spoof, right? It can't be real can it? Where's the reveal? Oh. It's real. We're doomed."
As Econsultancy writes, the media giant has been been accused of taking the criticism badly after censoring some of the negative comments posted on YouTube.
But it now appears to be mounting something of a fightback, taking to Posterous to respond to the criticism and take part in the debate.
In response to the suggestion that it took the abuse badly, PHD says: "To be honest we were taken by surprise at exactly how quickly the video spread (however ironic that might sound given the subject matter!)."
You can see the video for yourself below