Dozens of demonstrators held a protest in front of Liberty Mutual's Boston headquarters to demand an end to the company's "Liberty Biberty" mascot. The demonstration was organized by 19-year-old Connor Harvey, with people saying they find the fluffy yellow character creepy, annoying, and overly repetitive on TV commercials. Unveiled by Liberty Mutual in July, Liberty Biberty has been called a “nasty little pest” and a “disgusting little creature” on social media. Some viewers worry that the weird furball will replace popular existing characters like LiMu Emu and Doug, though the company has confirmed that those characters will remain active. Liberty Mutual has embraced the negative attention, viewing the backlash as a massive win for their brand visibility. Instead of backing down or issuing a formal apology, executives have doubled down on the campaign. Many marketing experts believe the backlash is exactly what the company wanted — known as “rage-baiting marketing” — to keep the brand relevant during highly competitive television slots like live sports broadcasts. Perhaps it might be smart for Liberty Mutual to look at the gamble Anheuser-Bush took when they used transgender star Dylan Mulvaney to promote Bud Light. The company has never recovered from that sales drop.
