A promotion by R&B singer Ashanti’s marketing team is attracting the wrong type of attention. Fans visiting Ashanti’s personal website could send e-cards called Gotchagram’s to friends or enemies. The marketing ad campaign featured threatening emails, fake murders and shocking images.
According to CNN, the emails informed recipients that their lives were in danger and encouraged them to contact a fake investigator for more information. Those who clicked the link to contact the “detective” of “Universal Crime Network” were shown a video of a fake crime scene with their names written in blood.
The link transported recipients to a fictional news report about “a string of murders inspired by Ashanti’s music.” A phone number includes a message from Ashanti thanking people for buying her album.
Fans were encouraged to send threatening Gotchagrams to “lovers who scorned you”. Senders were given a weapon of choice and the type of murder they wanted to commit against the recipient.
The Gotchagram marketing campaign was discontinued once the complaints began rolling in.
All that and Ashanti’s album will still do triple cement.
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WTF?????
What a bunch of ****es.
This is riduculous…that campaighn clearly went too far…but she most likely had no idea about it!
Don’t we live in times of crime and violence? Why, Who was the brains behind this? Someone lies or cheats and you wish a violent bloody death on them in a video and CD promotion? Does she not have any sense to know that who she is that this was not a good idea. I don’t care how old she is, she lost brownie points and unless she is trying to get a different audience for her music and the rest of the CD is Gangsta Rap this is still not acceptable. To me she was not the girl next door, but the girl with potential. Why come back with such a photoshopped cd cover and now this nonsense. I agree WTF? SMH with such disappointment. I say give the ppl “you” and not what you think they want. Not a fan of hers but my kids do like her fashion style, (old music) and I am just glad that I am a parent who my kids can look up to. Unfortunately some kids are/have looked up to her as a role model. She needs to do some serious explaining for the sake of her image and what’s left of her career.
the desperation to sell a record nowadays has left me damn near speechless..well damn near..
well, her home label is Murder, Inc.. And it’s funny how Murder, Inc. was actually under investigation by the FBI about 3 years ago for allegedly being an cover money laundering and drug trafficking organization in addition to being a label. I believe that Irv Gotti was being linked to some drug related murders at that time. I don’t recall how all that panned out, however.
She did have an idea about it. I heard her speak on it often. She thought it was a cute, funny promotional idea. I believe she actually came up with it. I thought it was sick.
This is the stupidest thing anyone could have ever thought of. How could she think this was an incentive to career. Crazy!
@ omina-homina Says:
well, her home label is Murder, Inc.. And it’s funny how Murder, Inc. was actually under investigation by the FBI about 3 years ago for allegedly being an cover money laundering and drug trafficking organization in addition to being a label. I believe that Irv Gotti was being linked to some drug related murders at that time. I don’t recall how all that panned out, however.
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Thanks for refreshing my memory. Irv had her effing for tracks. Is this any different than R Kelly not wanting to take the stand to state(lie) it was not me? Woman forget how powerful we really are. They(men) need us more than we need them. I am not saying this in a gold digger, ghetoo way. I am saying this because it is the truth. You attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. Ashati is not 15 or 19 anymore. Time to grow up and look up Clive Davis for a real deal. Murder Inc. the name itself has different listening audience. Not mad at Murder Inc or any rap mogule. Just saying that the girl next door should and could be on your label without changing who she is. A record lable is only a name. No reason not to try to extend the lable to main stream Whtiney music to sell even more records. I hope I did not step on toes and I am not hunted down. LOL. this site is for entertainment/opinion purposes only!
Mission accomplished. She has the attention she wanted. They always said publicity is publicity; no matter if it’s good or bad.
She needs to hang it up.
i don’t blame Ashanti. She probably had no clue….
Her marketing team needs to get the boot though…I sent one of those things to my boyfriend because I was telling him about it last night…He called me and told me he had an e-mail that said his life was in danger…Could you imagine getting something like that and having not been forewarned that it was coming?
Another ONE bites the dust…
NOW That’s the 2nd time this week I had to
Drop-a-Hot-Chick out of my TOP 5
Ashanti gets a big 0. I can’t believe that her overbearing/overexposed mother didn’t put the smack down on this long ago. Any publicity is publicity but this goes a bit far. You can’t give the unstable newly heartbroken any ideas with visual effects. How could anyone think this was a good idea? Your image should be more important than desperation for publicity. The music should be good enough to sell itself and if its not, Matthew Knowles should have been hired because he can sell ANYTHING! There is no telling what type of damage has been caused by this…
***BEST COMMENT OF THE DAY*** “All that and Ashanti’s album will still do triple cement.”
But, fa real “LIKE OH MY GOD” that black chick was fake than a mug… I was so shocked… She had to be the token outraged black chick…
Why did it seem like Lola was over dramatizing this whole non issue of a video? It’s not that serious.
Welp … she sucks …
VAALLDAY Says:
This is the stupidest thing anyone could have ever thought of. How could she think this was an incentive to career
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I agree. This was very dumb of her.
@ omina-homina
he was aquitted of all charges
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My opinion this was some dummies idea in
marketing and they didnt get it approved which caused it to go too far
I don’t see anything wrong with it….IT’S A JOKE PEOPLE! When are we going to stop letting “White America” dictate what we say an do?!?!
That is sooo stupid. CNN must really not have sh*t else to talk about to make this into a big deal. GET A LIFE!
this is not okay. has nothing to do with white america. it has to do with what’ right and wrong. would you feel the same way if your son or daughter received a threatening email saying that their life was at stake???
Give me a break! Did anyone die? I’m will encourage you all to read “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff” by Richard Carlson, Ph.D. It might help…
Smooches!
Maybe she needs to spread her legs to Irv again. Her career has been on the fast train to sh*tville ever since she left him
i got that ashanti album and i must say, it is the bomb!!!!!!
TRIPLE CEMENT *stands up and claps* good one sandra! that was funny girl - i need more of those from you
LOL:)!!!
Poor Ashanti!!!
I first got wind of Ashanti’s “murdergrams” when my fellow blogger Juan covered it on HN.
Honestly I think it is getting a bit too much concern. Though I do feel it is in bad taste I don’t find it all that bad. just a tasteless practical joke.
If the site hadn’t gotten yanked down I probably would have gotten a person or two with it.
I like Solange’s dress/tutu. Very girly.