Since the original YouTube "adpocalypse" in 2017, advertising has become a point of contention among content creators. While fraudulent or unsavory advertisements are still a problem for YouTubers that might mainly rely on advertiser revenue, Twitch partners and affiliates can also earn money through paid subscriptions, bits and donations. However, after using the Twitch donation messages for an ad campaign, the marketing firm Ogilvy is facing backlash and accusations of exploitation from Twitch streamers and viewers alike.
On August 18th, Ogilvy unveiled a new ad that grabbed footage from several Twitch streams. Entitled "The King of Stream," the advertisement featured an Ogilvy bot which would donate three to five dollars to a streamer and read out an advertisement for a Burger King combo deal. Splicing in footage of Twitch streamers joking that these messages made them hungry or made Burger King sound appealing, the marketing firm claimed that it had "turned donations into ads."
This advertisement immediately drew the ire of many Twitch streamers. For example, Twitch streamer RubberNinja shared his own sarcastic interaction with the Burger King bot, and called it "scummy as hell." Popular streamer Anne Munition chimed in with her own criticism of the campaign, stating that her marketing was worth more than five dollars.
Neither Ogilvy nor Burger King have commented on the recent backlash. However, other Twitch users have continued to criticize them in the comments, and ask about the legality of advertising on other people's channels without permission.