July 23rd 2024.
A group of firefighters were called to an area near Grenfell Tower after receiving reports of smoke. They quickly rushed to the scene, ready to tackle the blaze and keep the community safe. However, upon arriving, they were surprised to find out that it was not an actual fire, but rather a marketing stunt by Sainsbury's. The supermarket had set up a smoke machine next to their billboard advertising their BBQ smoky ribs.
A video of the incident, uploaded by a London-based plumber named Chloe Troncone, went viral on TikTok. In the video, three baffled firefighters can be seen standing next to the billboard, which reads "say yes to the sweet smoky sizzle." The footage captured the moment when the firefighters realized that they had been called out for a PR stunt.
Chloe, who was also at the scene, explained that the Sainsbury's staff had just finished taking photos of the marketing stunt when the firefighters arrived. She criticized the supermarket for their insensitivity, as the billboard was just a 10-minute drive from Grenfell Tower, where a tragic fire had claimed the lives of 72 people in 2017.
The plumber shared that she could understand why someone would call 999 upon seeing the smoke. The billboard was located near a main road, and someone passing by may have only caught a quick glimpse of the smoke. The London Fire Service confirmed that they were indeed called at 3.59pm and that it only took them nine minutes to realize that it was a PR stunt.
After receiving backlash for their insensitive marketing tactic, Sainsbury's issued an apology for any upset and confusion caused. They also mentioned that they would take the feedback into consideration for future campaigns. Chloe, on the other hand, expressed her disappointment in the supermarket, stating that the idea may have seemed good on paper, but it was an awful idea in reality.
To Chloe, it was not just a waste of the firefighters' time, but it also had the potential to cause panic among the community. She shared that her team was on their way to unblock a sink when they walked through an alleyway and came across the billboard. They noticed the smoke and saw two people taking pictures happily. However, when they returned 15 minutes later, they saw the firefighters and the Sainsbury's team, who were discussing how to inform the call center that it was just an advertisement.
Chloe's TikTok video captioned, "Lol, they're using a smoke machine to advertise their new smoky ribs, and someone called it in as a fire in the first five minutes in Hammersmith." It was clear that she found the whole situation ridiculous and believed that Sainsbury's had taken it too far. She suggested that they should have just left it as a billboard or at least indicated that the smoke was not real.
For those who may not be aware, Grenfell Tower was a 24-storey residential tower block that caught fire on July 14, 2017, leading to the tragic deaths of at least 72 people. A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade shared that they received a call about smoke issuing from a sign on Holland Park Roundabout in Shepherd's Bush. After a thorough investigation, they concluded that it was just an advertisement.
Sainsbury's apologized for any confusion caused by their billboard design, stating that they take feedback seriously and will review their future campaigns in light of this incident.
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