Corporate cock-ups: Ten costly gaffes

By Matilda Battersby

Tuesday 09 February 2010

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ITV was today fined by a court in Sydney for allowing a rat to be killed and eaten by contestants on reality TV show 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here', a decision which has outraged animal rights activists, raised a few eyebrows and caused the channel to apologise unreservedly.

When big business gets it wrong the repercussions can be huge, not to mention costly. But it can be entertaining too. If executives let something slip, a product hits a clanging note and brand managers fail to avoid unfortunate translations of item names, it can ruin reputations, damage stock prices and stop sales.

Click here or on the image to launch our guide

From claiming that a business "sells crap" to naming a child's bed after a profanity, we look at ten of the most amusing or revealing corporate cock-ups.

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