A British company called This makes plant-based meat alternatives. They also vandalize Wikipedia to promote their products.
On August 26th, a now-blocked Wikipedia user called "This Isn't Bacon" removed the first three photos in Wikipedia's "Bacon" article and replaced them with photos of what appears to be the company product. Wikipedia is not a billboard, and editors quickly reverted the company's changes. However, on September 10th, User:This Isn't Bacon undid the changes. According to the revision history, the second vandalism attempt was only up for 24 minutes.
The company took to social media to show off its edits. In a LinkedIn post, Co-founder Andy Shovel posted a screenshot of the changes with the caption "I wonder how long we'll get away with this." The company shared the stunt on its Instagram page, too; the caption gloats "THIS™ Isn't Bacon".
This isn't the first company to use the online encyclopedia for brand promotion. In 2019, North Face changed high-traffic Wikipedia images to subtly show North Face products. The move caused the brand to face scrutiny from both the public and The Wikimedia Foundation. The New York Times:
"But, in its statement, Wikipedia likened the campaign to defacing public property: 'They have risked your trust in our mission for a short-lived marketing stunt.'"
I'm all for creative promos, and I like alternative meat, but unethically manipulating Wikipedia is not the way to go.
