Law firm freebie gives student electric shock
CMS Cameron McKenna has proved it’s not the brightest spark in the legal market - after a student received an electric shock from its law fair giveaway.
The firm has had to recall hundreds of the branded travel adapters it had produced for the law fair season after a Cambridge University student was “shocked” by the product.
The giveaway became live when the unsuspecting student plugged it in and then touched its protruding pins.
With the milkround season well underway, the firm has had to recall the product from five Universities as well as a Graduate Diversity Event held in Canary Wharf on 29 October.
But this isn’t the first time a firm has been left blushing by a duff product. Linklaters once produced a mug with the howling spelling error - “Thirst for knowlege”.
A spokesman for Camerons said: “Obviously we are disappointed to have to recall the adaptors, however we feel the safety risk is unacceptable.”
A graduate recruitment manager from a rival firm said: “We do feel the whole freebie thing is getting a bit out of hand and perhaps this is a good demonstration of the point.”.
Readers' comments (11)
Anonymous | 7-Nov-2008 11:14 am
Sick of freebies
I am a student and I think the whole freebie thing has got out of hand too. I don't think a packet of Smarties or a great book of sticky labels are a good enough reason to join a firm.
I think if you are serious about being a lawyer you should chose a firm for what it is - not the freebies it gives away at law fairs.
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Anonymous | 7-Nov-2008 11:47 am
A little more conversation
I agree - freebies are a total waste of time and money. A conversation with a trainee on a law fair stand gives more away about what a law firm stands for than any giveaway will ever do.
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Bill Carling | 7-Nov-2008 11:52 am
It's all about branding
I don't agree with the last two comments. A law firm can do a great job telling you why it is a better place to work than its rivals, but if you don't remember its name, it was a wasted effort.
A lot of branding is just getting people to remember your name at the right time - Carling is a rubbish beer, for instance, but people buy it because it is the name that jumps into their head when they are at the bar or the off license.
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Elle Ektrik | 7-Nov-2008 12:32 pm
Did you see what I did there?
I can't believe that the firm didn't check out its supplier more carefully... shocking.
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Anonymous | 7-Nov-2008 1:36 pm
Freebie poll
My vote goes to the legendary Cameron's travel adaptor!
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Anonymous | 7-Nov-2008 2:19 pm
The most stunning thing ever to emerge from Camerons
At least this item raised a giggle - nice to see that in cost-cutting times, pieces of irrelevant tat are still being peddled by law firms.
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students like freebies! | 7-Nov-2008 3:34 pm
doh..
The travel adaptor is actually a genius idea... really useful. Shame the suppliers decided not to give instructions out with them to tell reprobate students not to keep all the different pins extended when plugging in the adaptor.
Cambridge student no doubt became a slightly brighter spark after his shock.
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Anonymous | 8-Nov-2008 1:03 pm
Shocking
Law firm freebies are amazing. They kept me in stationery throughout my undergrad years and beyond; sticky labels are expensive.
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Anon. | 10-Nov-2008 10:22 am
To students like freebies
I don't think you can make a pun on a pun and call it your own...
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Tom | 11-Nov-2008 0:11 am
Pointless
I can't think of a single really decent freebie... Cleary gave mini bottles of champagne but their representatives became ridiculously strict cue people having to brown nose to get their freebies - not on!
No, the money spent on freebies would be better ploughed into decent drinks receptions or on making vacation schemes better. After all, this is where the real competition for the stronger (bothering to attend a reception), and strongest (got through to vacation schemes) takes place...
(Caveat to this: Links should, however, consider trimming the vac scheme budget to provide some form of refreshments to interviewees!)*
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Anonymous | 31-Jan-2012 6:07 pm
I do think freebies have their use. For me at least a firm that gave bad freebies definitely left a bad impression.
For example, I remember from my year that Freshfields gave terrible freebies, they must be quite stingy with their staff too (at least the feeling I got).
Slaughters on the other hand gave terrific freebies, that made me look up the firm and left a strong positive impression.
But I ended up joining another magic circle firm because of my vac scheme experience and I like it the best after talking to the people etc. (I didn't even see their booth at the law fair!)
So freebies are not everything, but doing a good job definitely helps advertise your firm strongly. And doing a poor job only damages your reputation.
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