Social Media

BP gets blasted on Twitter, but doesn't seem to care

Posted by Rich Cherecwich on May 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am

There's a lot of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico these days, and many Americans are pointing a finger at British oil conglomerate BP. The spill and its long-term damage are no laughing matter, but Twitter fans are getting a chuckle thanks to the scathing parody account @BPGlobalPR.

The Twitter account has amassed 40,000 followers since it first tweeted a week ago, and its tongue-in-cheek posts, such as "Thousands of people are attacked by sea creatures every year. We at BP are dedicated to bringing that number down. You're welcome," are being retweeted at a rate of 100 users per post.

What does BP think about this mockery? Well, it doesn't seem to care. The brand is aware of the account, but a spokesperson wasn't sure if anyone had contacted Twitter to remove it, according to an Ad Age report.

So should BP care about a Twitter account that lampoons its brand name? In all honesty, the company probably has some more important matters on its hands these days.

The @BPGlobalPR account did change its image earlier this week from BP's yellow and green logo to a black and white image with an oil spill, perhaps to make a clear distinction. But right now BP is just begrudgingly accepting having its name run through the mud. "People are frustrated at what's happening, as are we, and that's just their way of expressing it," BP spokesman Toby Odone told Ad Age.
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