Eyewear brand Blacksheep lined up 25 LED trucks outside Google's Manhattan office, following a dispute over ad costs triggered by the eyewear brand's NBC appearance.
Manhattan: 25 LED Trucks Take Aim at Google
Eyewear brand Blacksheep drove 25 LED trucks in front of Google’s building in Manhattan. The synchronized displays showed a single message: “Shame on you, Google.” Blacksheep aimed the protest at what it calls unjustified advertising costs charged by Google.
The dispute traces back to a segment on NBC’s Today Show, which tested an eight-dollar pair of Blacksheep glasses against a 350-dollar model. Blacksheep’s glasses outperformed the pricier competitor in the test. Google searches for Blacksheep spiked after the segment aired.
Technical error triggers 404 page
The surge in demand gave Blacksheep a leading organic search ranking, according to the company. A technical error then reportedly stopped users from reaching Blacksheep’s website, sending them to a 404 error page instead.
Users turned to paid Google ads to find the brand. Blacksheep says this cost the company 80,000 dollars in a single day, paid directly to the search engine.
Google refuses reimbursement
According to Blacksheep, Google responded only with standard replies and declined to issue any credit.
“Google used its search monopoly to monetize a glitch within its own platform and strip us of the benefits of our own organic success. We will not remain silent,” said Pierre Wizman, founder of Blacksheep. The company is considering legal action, including a possible antitrust claim. Google has not publicly commented on the allegations.
The guerrilla DooH campaign builds on the brand awareness generated by the NBC segment. Where viewers saw Blacksheep challenge pricier competitors with lower prices and equal or better quality, the company is now taking on one of the world’s leading tech firms.