MINI pays to name a storm with devastating results

The annals of marketing history are full of missteps and bad decisions, so it comes as little surprise MINI's latest PR stunt has come crashing down around them.

In an effort to promote the Cooper, MINI reportedly hired the Sassenbach advertising agency to get a cold front named after the popular model. It sounds like outlandish idea, but it worked - just not as intended.

For approximately €300 ($394), MINI got their "Cooper" cold front but it tragically developed into a wicked storm which has claimed at least 113 lives. The devastation has spawned a PR nightmare as various European publications are calling out the company for such a misguided stunt.