The Monkey Shack

BBDO's relationship with its newest client, Starbucks, may have gotten off to a rough start. The agency, who was named the coffee chain's agency of record just a few weeks ago, turned around a quick campaign with online advertising and a 60-second commercial that aired during this past weekend's episode of "Saturday Night Live." The promotion offered to give free coffee on Election Day to anyone who comes into a Starbucks and says they voted.

Just one problem.

Washington state officials reached out to the Seattle-based java giant to notify the chain that state and federal election law prohibit any form of remuneration for voting. That means no free coffee to voters. Instead, Starbucks had to alter the promotion so that anyone, not just voters, could enjoy a free tall-coffee.

Starbucks has always been resistant to TV advertising. Now their new agency just spent a ton of money to advertise a promotion they couldn't do, and instead had to give away coffee all day long. That couldn't have been a pleasant client call.

Still not sure how similar election promotions at Krispy Kreme and Ben and Jerry's have fared.