Ruby, the Pirate Geek, visited the much hyped Innocent Village Fete and left with a achy feeling in her tummy (figuratively speaking). She asks why people were asked to pay for Innocent drinks in what was basically an ad for the smoothie drinks company:
The Innocent Village Fete this weekend, in all its over-capacitated, Glastonbury for the organic gluttonous glory, was asking people to pay for Innocent drinks… Seriously.. It just seemed so bloody rude to ask people to spend £1.60 or similar on a juice that in all honestly we were there doing the PR for, especially when we left for the day, smiling, sunburnt and with their little lanyards around our necks…. The staff in ‘I work for Innocent, fancy a chat?’ tee shirts who were just hanging about getting drunk, (obviously didn’t have to queue in the 2 hour line for a Pimms then huh?)… Consumers don’t expect to pay for everything; sure – they know when they should have to and when they shouldn’t – but in my mind (and correct me if I’m wrong and it’s just that I stumbled across the only two outlets that were making you pay for the drinks) what meeting of mavericks thought that paying for smoothies on the day was a good idea?
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A heads-up, I am friends with the founders of Innocent however I have to say that I really agreed with the post at the Pirate Geek. Innocent is treading a fine line at the moment, the trial of their kids drinks at McDonalds and the “exposee” of their Juice Water have left them open to criticism. The Innocent fete was a lovely idea in theory – but in practise it was far too big, too many people, too many queues and on the whole lacking the charm that the brand has. My father (68), my Godmother (50), my husband (32) and Ilana (32), Thorsten (32) and Ronit (6 months) all had to leave after about an hour. The reason that I added in ages is that it seemed that by trying to be something for everyone, it was anything to anyone.
I love the Innocent brand, but it seems to be at a bit of a juncture at the moment.
August 12th, 2007 at 12:44 pm