There’s a concept in marketing called Reverse Marketing, and anyone who has seriously studied marketing is likely familiar with it. I’ll try to explain it through a fascinating example.
The idea of Reverse Marketing seemingly emerged by accident with Nike. It all started with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a legendary basketball player of Pakistani origin. Kareem was exceptionally tall (over two meters) and had an unusually large shoe size—size 58. His problem? Every time he jumped for a basket, his shoes would tear apart upon landing.
Nike saw an opportunity and developed the Nike Air technology, crafting a custom shoe for Kareem that wouldn’t break upon impact. This move won them immense support, particularly from Muslim and African-American communities in the U.S., who admired Nike for solving a problem for their basketball icon. Sales surged even further when Nike printed “K. Abdul-Jabbar” on the shoe.
But then, Nike made a major misstep—they released a model with the name of God (Allah) printed on the sole. This sparked outrage among Muslim communities worldwide, leading to boycotts, lawsuits, and a massive PR crisis. The CEO of Nike appeared on television, nearly in tears, apologizing and claiming they thought Muslims would appreciate the gesture.
And then—everything flipped. Nike withdrew the model, but by that point, the entire world was talking about them. The controversy transformed them into a global brand, cementing their place in pop culture.
This strategy wasn’t lost on other brands. Benetton, the Italian clothing company, followed suit with provocative ad campaigns—featuring war imagery, crying children, scenes from the Vietnam War, and even a poster of Ronald Reagan with syphilis scars. Lawsuits and international backlash followed, but ultimately, everyone was talking about Benetton.
This all happened over 25 years ago, yet the lesson remains the same: marketing success isn’t just measured by positive ROI but by impact—whether good or bad. If people are talking, the campaign worked.
And that’s exactly what the world’s biggest brands have mastered.
Recently, zara genocide campaign is happened, It presented a series of images of unfinished sculptures in a sculptor’s studio and was created with the sole purpose of showcasing craftmade garments in an artistic context. In one image McMenamy holds a mannequin wrapped in white material over her right shoulder. In the background of other pictures there are damaged statues and broken plasterboard.
Many social media users criticised the retailer for running the campaign and the hashtag #BoycottZara was trending on X and said “They are making fun of us and they are making fun of children who have been killed and our houses which have been destroyed,” claimed one user in a post.
Difference between Reverse Marketing and Anti-Advertising
Reverse marketing and anti-advertising are both effective strategies used by businesses, but they serve different purposes. Let’s have a look at the difference between the two –
Reverse Marketing
- Reverse marketing works on creating brand loyalty by providing value to the customer Anti-advertising works by showcasing the harms of using a particular product or service.
- An example of a reverse marketing campaign could be Apple’s Think Different campaign- This campaign aimed to show that the company was a support system for creative minds, unconventional thinkers, and risk-takers. It allowed them to build up their brand image and create positive associations with their brand.
Anti Advertising
- Anti-advertising works by showcasing the harms of using a particular product or service.
- Anti-smoking campaigns are an example of anti-advertising – They focus on informing people about the harms of smoking and urge them to quit.