Que C’est Embarrassant! French Radio Station Apologises After Accidentally Posting Obituary For Very-Much-Alive Queen Elizabeth
French radio station RFI radio has issued a sheepish apology after posting an obituary for a very-much-alive Queen Elizabeth.
The radio station posted the obituary to their website stating the Queen had died aged 94, distressing Her Majesty’s French fans.
The bungle occurred after the obituary had been prepared as a draft in the event of the Queen’s death, which is a common media practice.
It wasn’t just the Queen who received an early obituary, with actors Clint Eastwood, Sophia Loren, and Brigitte Bardot mistakenly pronounced dead.
The obituaries were quickly pulled down once the mistake was realised, and the radio station issued an apology on Twitter before pulling it down.
The apology read: “A technical problem has resulted in the publication of numerous obituaries on our French site.
“We are working to rectify this serious bug, and we apologise to all concerned as well as those who follow us and put their trust in us.”
According to a Tweet from Italian journalist Jessica Phelan, some of the obituaries speculated the cause of death to be COVID-19.
She tweeted: “Solidarity with former colleagues @RFI, which just accidentally published stacks of draft obits for people who are very much not dead—inc Queen Elizabeth, Raul Castro, Brigitte Bardot & more—complete with dates they were last updated & alternative leads if they die of Covid-19.”
Solidarity with former colleagues @RFI, which just accidentally published stacks of draft obits for people who are very much not dead—inc Queen Elizabeth, Raul Castro, Brigitte Bardot & more—complete with dates they were last updated & alternative leads if they die of Covid-19 😬 pic.twitter.com/zUSqVU0X4Q
— Jessica Phelan (@JessicaLPhelan) November 16, 2020
In good news, however, the Queen is alive and well.
Latest News
Monday TV Wrap: Seven’s SAS On The Up As Shannan Ponton Sensationally Quits
Seven’s SAS Australia was the entertainment of choice Monday night with 728,000 metro viewers (OzTAM data) tuning in to watch frontrunner Shannan Ponton sensationally quit the show. Fan-favourite Ponton Voluntarily Withdrew from the competition after struggling to work in the cold and not wanting to be a “burden”. Meanwhile, 10’s Have You Been Paying Attention did a […]
Jack Nimble Appoints James McInnes As Head Of Social
Social studio Jack Nimble has appointed James McInnes in the newly created role of head of social. McInnes joins during what the company describes as “a phenomenal year”, which has seen Jack Nimble double in size and secure numerous awards for its blend of social-first creative and nimble production. With a mix of international experience […]
The Core Agency Brands Just Better Care As ‘Just Better…’
Independent creative agency, The Core Agency, has created a new campaign for national in-home aged care and disability support provider, Just Better Care. Just Better Care is one of Australia’s largest accredited providers, delivering in-home social and lifestyle support services that enable people to live independently.Its network of over 40 franchise territories provides affordable and […]
Snapchat Takes On TiKTok With New Spotlight Platform
Snap Inc is taking on social media giant TikTok with Spotlight, a new entertainment platform for user-generated content within Snapchat Spotlight will surface the most entertaining Snaps from the Snapchat community all in one place, and will become tailored to each Snapchatter over time based on their preferences and favorites. As a way to celebrate […]
Starcom Promotes Mark Duffy To National Head Of Investment And Digital
Starcom Australia today announced its new ‘People Powered Growth’ positioning and strengthened agency structure. The developments include two key hires and the promotion of Mark Duffy to the new, integrated role of National Head of Investment and Digital. On the announcement, Starcom Australia CEO, Nick Keenan, said: “To further enhance our positioning and point of […]
P.E Nation & Andpeople Rewrite Fashion Rules With Custom-Built Augmented Reality Changing Room
Creative agency Andpeople has teamed up with active-streetwear label P.E Nation to create a custom-built augmented reality (AR) dressing room ahead of the label’s latest launch. The digital dressing room was unveiled to coincide with the launch of P.E Nation’s ‘Sustainable in Snow’ collection. In partnership with Andpeople and the globally recognised team behind the […]
Purpose Has Become A Tired, “Save The World” Chorus, And It’s Easily Ignored
In this guest post, marketing activist Thomas Kolster (feature image)discusses a study in his new book that shows how purpose fails to motivate and has become a tired “save-the-world” chorus, and easily ignored… Every ad break these days is packed tight with commercials touting a higher purpose from decrying plastic dumping in our oceans to […]
Mindshare Appointed To Handle Analytics & Advanced Modelling Business For NAB
Mindshare has announced NAB has appointed the agency to handle its Advanced Advertising Analytics and Media Mix Modelling following a competitive pitch. The appointment marks a significant move to enhance NAB’s existing ad analytics and modelling capabilities, to drive greater results and make stronger data driven decisions. Mindshare has held the main media account for […]
Rectangle Fatigue: Apple & The Curse Of Great Design
Tomas Haffenden (pictured below) is a futurist at VERSA. In this guest post, he says it’s hard not to look enviously at Apple’s product line-up and marvel at numerous examples of category-defining industrial design. However, when you lead the pack and create a near-perfect first-generation device, where do you go next? It is hard not […]
MediaCom Case Studies: Why 2020 Was The Year Of Programmatic Outdoor
From scepticism to dreaming – those were MediaCom’s initial thoughts when it were first told what Programmatic OOH (POOH) was going to look like in the future – and sometimes it still feels a long way away. However, over the last 18 months MediaCom have been on a ground-breaking journey, pioneering not only the Australian […]
Snap Launches New Product Suite For App Advertisers
From Airbnb to Calm and all the apps in between, the rise of app-based companies calls for specific app advertising solutions, according to Snap Inc. Following the launch of Snap Connect—a tool to help marketers learn about direct response (DR) advertising strategies on Snapchat—Snap has launched an advertising product suite built specifically for app marketers. […]
Adform Becomes First Global Ad Tech Vendor To Subject Tech Stack To An Independent Audit
Ad tech vendor Adform had made a significant step towards promoting transparency in digital advertising, becoming the first global ad tech vendor to subject its tech stack to an independent audit. The audit follows a report released in May 2020 by the ISBA and AOP in the UK. The research, which was executed by PwC, […]
Matthew McConaughey Chats With Local Legends In Latest Wild Turkey ‘With Thanks’ Initiative
Actor Matthew McConaughey is shining a light on Australian Local Legends, as part of Wild Turkey’s latest ‘Wild Turkey With Thanks’ initiative. In the latest phase of the ‘With Thanks’ platform, McConaughey, who is the creative director of Wild Turkey, chats with Aussies who have stood with conviction, supporting their environment and communities throughout the […]
RACQ Highlights ‘Membership Model’ In Cultish New Campaign
Queensland’s largest club, mutual insurer, bank and roadside assistance provider, RACQ, launched its new campaign on Sunday, shining a light on its membership model. It’s all smiles and verything is a little brighter when you’re an RACQ member, according to the company’s new campaign, ‘Membership makes all the difference’. It also revealed some of the […]
SCA Taps Dave Hughes, Ed Kavalee And Erin Molan To Revive 2DayFM Breakfast Show
It's a credit to Ed Kavalee, he has been hired for more radio shows than he's ultimately been axed from.
Stockland Champions The ‘Bin Chicken’ In New Festive Campaign Via Host/Havas
Did you know the ibis was an object of religious veneration in ancient Egypt? Yes, B&T just nicked that off Wikipedia.
As Bec Judd Leaves ARN, Kate Langbroek Returns To The KIIS Network In ‘21
Further confirmation there appears to be only seven radio presenters in Australia comes news of Kate Langbroek's return.
INNOCEAN Australia Makes Eight New Hires As Part Of Transformation
INNOCEAN Australia has bolstered its team with new Executive Creative Director Wesley Hawes announcing his first creative appointments, plus the newly-created role of CX Director, bringing total new hires to eight as the agency continues its transformation.
Study: Online Shopping Boom To Continue Into 2021
Council parking inspectors booking naughty courier van drivers to hit record highs as online shopping continues to boom.
KFC Debuts Driverless Food Trucks For Socially Distanced Chicken
KFC China debuts driverless food trucks. All but concedes it'll never get the stench of burnt grease out.
Hootsuite Reveals Its Social Predictions For 2021
Hootsuite reveals its 2021 predictions. Neither an astrological star chart or tarot cards were used in its formation.
‘Landmark’ Research From Foxtel Shows Impact Of Engagement On Ad Effectiveness
Yes, it's yet another advertising engagement study. This one arguably more engaging than many of its predecessors.
SVOD Player BritBox Launches In Australia
Lovers of British telly rejoice as new UK-centric streamer arrives mercifully sans The Black And White Minstrel Show.
Unilever Sets Five-Year Target Of $1.6bn For Vegan Foods
B&T's a big fan of vegan foods although we're always unsure why they're always made to look like actual meat.
Australian Digital Advertising Bounces Back 11.3% In Q3: IAB
IAB reports digital ad spends have bounced back higher than a fat kid on a trampoline. Yes, B&T's words, not theirs.
SBS Reveals New Insight Host
Kumi Taguchi set to host one of Australia's better current affair programs that, sadly, no one ever watches.
Why The New ‘Hybrid’ Offline And Online Shopping Model Will Supercharge Retail In 2021
Columnist says we're looking at a supercharged retail model which could result in you supercharging your Visa maximum.
Party People! It’s All The Party Pics From The 2020 B&T Awards
Sadly, COVID did put some limitations on the B&T Award celebrations. On the upside, no unwanted pregnancies this year.
B&T Awards 2020 All The Winners Revealed!
A B&T Award is the industry equivalent of winning the pub's meat tray. It just won't make you any friends at BBQs.
Grinners! All The Winners Pics From The 2020 B&T Awards!
Did you attend Friday's B&T Awards only to see your competition take home top prize? Re-live the horror again here.
