One of the most amusing uses for Twitter is when someone sets up a clever parody/satire account.
Corporate villains du jour British Petroleum have been lambasted in the media since the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that killed eleven workers and created a massive environmental hazard. The company has drawn ire for its laissez faire attitude towards the spill and disinclination to take responsibility for the catastrophe. BP has set up two accounts to disseminate information about the cleanup, BPAmerica and Oil_Spill_2010 . Those accounts have about 4,800 and 5,700 followers, respectively.
However, another Twitter account, BPGlobalPR , has more than twice the number of followers (20,730) of the other two accounts combined. The rub for BP, of course, is that the popular account isn’t an official channel for the oil company- it’s a satirical account mocking the company’s actions and public perception following the spill. The account is cleverly handled, down to silly replies aimed at people who don’t understand that the account is a joke.
Some samples:
Not only are we dropping a top hat on the oil spill, we’re going to throw in a cane and monocle as well. Keeping it classy.
Beverly Hillbillies marathon on TBS – now THESE guys knew what to do with an oil leak!
You know what they say about the ocean… Once it goes black it never goes back! JOKING – the water is brown.
We just saw a shark fight an octopus inside the geyser. Almost made this whole thing worth it.
If we had a dollar for every complaint about this oil spill, it wouldn’t compare to our current fortune. Oil is a lucrative industry!
My personal favorite:
Funny, no one has thanked us for seasons 3-15 of Treme yet. #bpcares
And a reply to those who vow to never do business with BP again:
@resplendicity – You may want to reconsider as we just started our Franks, Fritos & Fanta $3 meal deal. Every Monday between 9-11am.
BP is, of course, aware of the account. A spokesman commented to the Wall Street Journal about the Twitter situation:
“It’s a shame, but obviously people are entitled to their views,” a BP spokesman said, adding that the company is taking the spill “very seriously.”
