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Home and Away fans call out 'disrespectful' marketing campaign: 'Gross'
‘Home and Away should be ashamed of themselves.’
Home and Away fans are divided over the show’s controversial marketing campaign to help find a missing character ahead of its return in 2024.
The ‘Bring Eden Home’ campaign launched following the recent season cliffhanger and centres around Cash's search for his missing girlfriend Eden after she was kidnapped in a forest.
To keep fans engaged while the show is on break, Channel Seven has released dramatic on-air promotions, shared missing person posters on social media, and created a 1800 number for viewers to hear Eden’s final phone call.
While some fans love that the dramatic storyline has become interactive, describing the phone number as an “epic” idea, others are outraged by the campaign.
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One long-time viewer told Yahoo Lifestyle they “can’t stand” the missing person advertisement that is currently airing on Seven because they believe it’s “disrespectful”.
“It is disgusting and dismissive of anyone who is living through this in real life,” they said. “Home and Away should be ashamed of themselves. Absolutely disgusting. I can't understand how this ad was even allowed to be televised by the media.
“Put yourself in the position of someone who is every day seven days a week 24 hours a day hoping to hear news about a loved one. Gross.”
Others have agreed on social media that the campaign is “ridiculous” and “a tad insensitive” to those missing loved ones in real life.
Despite the controversy, the campaign has been a massive success for the long-running soap. The 1800 number received almost 66,000 calls in less than a week, with over 28,000 calls made in the first 24 hours.
“We’re thrilled with the engagement and impact this campaign has driven so far and excited to spearhead an immersive, out-of-the-box creative campaign for Home and Away,” said Larissa Ozard, Seven’s Director of Marketing – Brand, Product and Trade.
“It’s in no small way thanks to some brilliant creative from Nina Kendall and execution by Marni Crutchley and team, who have been able to deliver a campaign to get the nation talking while sweating earned and owned channels.”
Home and Away returns 7pm January 8 on Channel Seven and 7Plus.
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