Droga5 claims VB manages controversial Facebook page itself despite brand blaming agency

Tim Burrowes

August 7, 2012 1:04

VB and its former agency Droga5 are locked in a blame game over who was responsible for managing the brand’s Facebook page which fell foul of the ad watchdog over sexist and homophobic comments.

This week it was revealed that the Advertising Standards Board had ruled that brands are responsible for comments made by fans on a Facebook page.

VB’s parent company Foster’s parted ways with Droga5 in February when it consolidated its roster with Clemenger BBDO Melbourne picking up the extra business.

In its response to the ASB, Foster’s appeared to blame Droga5 for comments remaining on the page that should have been taken down. Without using the agency’s name, it said:

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Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.

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1 COMMENTS

andrew 8 Aug 12

Blaming the old agency is so easy… like looking at the family dog when dad farts.

But not such a great strategy for CUB. Mumbrella asked a straight forward question and got a convoluted reply… effectively, “umm… ok it may not have been that dog, but we have other dogs… ummm I’ll open the window”

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