Twitterati slams Mastercard's 'Food for Goals' campaign
What's the story
Mastercard's 'Food for Goals' campaign has turned into one of the biggest PR disasters of recent times.
The company has pledged to donate 10,000 meals to starving children every time Messi and Neymar score a goal.
The campaign was termed disgusting by people as they felt associating food for poor with an outcome of a sporting event morally wrong.
Twitter Post
Master card to donate 10,000 means for each goal
Goals that changes lives: for each goal scored by Messi or Neymar Jr. Mastercard will donate the equivalent of 10,000 meals to @WFP to fight childhood hunger and malnutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean #TogetherWeAre10 #StartSomethingPriceless https://t.co/URfIp77ElN pic.twitter.com/Ckq61oJgld
— Noticias Mastercard (@MastercardLAC) May 31, 2018
PR disaster
Social media terms it 'fictitious hunger games'
The payments giant announced that it would make a donation each time, the football superstars net a goal between now and March 2020.
Mastercard had pledged to donate to 'World Food Programme' for children in Latin America and the Caribbean,
Messi and Neymar have backed the campaign but Twitter did not like it.
People on social media termed it 'fictitious hunger games'.
Twitter Post
Football icon slams Mastercard
Easily the worst marketing I’ve ever seen😱. This seriously got through the different levels of management, and you all said go ahead 😢 https://t.co/uPbGU9VH0H
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) June 2, 2018
Twitter Post
Absolutely sick says this Twitterati
This is absolutely SICK! 🤢 Having the means to provide 10000 meals and then basing that decision on the outcome of a sporting event is morally wrong! It could meant the difference between life and death for a child and isn’t a corporate companies PR excercise!!
— Simon Wait (@swait1982) June 1, 2018
Twitter Post
Why can't Mastercard just donate food?
Just give the kids some food you literal hunger games villains.
— Eben Bell (@deckinspectah) June 1, 2018
Twitter Post
Football cannot decide the fate of hungry children
Worst PR own goal ever. If you’ve got the money.... just buy the f***ing food. How sad that the fate of a starving child rests in the foot of a multi million pound player.
— Justin Lockwood (@Lockers75) June 1, 2018
Twitter Post
Goalkeepers will have to think twice before making a save
All of a sudden being a goalkeeper means saving shots is stopping kids get the food they need?
— Robbie Britton (@ultrabritton) June 2, 2018
Really bad idea from @Mastercard. If you have the cash then feed the kids. https://t.co/8Iwk4MF0xQ
Twitter Post
No goals, no food?
Sorry kids VAR overruled it, no food today.
— Joe Beck (@joseph83beck) June 1, 2018
Twitter Post
Mastercard's corporate culture slammed
So, MasterCard clearly have the money. But the hungry, malnourished children only get the food if Messi Neymar have a good World Cup?!?!?
— Jake Humphrey (@mrjakehumphrey) June 2, 2018
Just for context, one month ago, MasterCard reported a 38% increase in revenue...to $3.5bn. https://t.co/tBE9jWfYXG