A billboard for storage space in Manhattan has been generating a lot of buzz — most of it negative. After the Catholic League criticized the display, others starting arguing about it and taking a closer look. The consensus now? If the storage company was looking for some good PR, it blew it:

Naturally the ads have found support from abortion-rights organizations like NARAL Pro-Choice America, which praised the storage company’s bold billboard and questioned why anti-abortion groups like the Catholic League have taken such offense.

“I’m not quite sure what they’re offended by,” said Mary Alice Carr, NARAL vice president of communications. “If they’re offended by the fact that there’s a coat hanger on it, I’m similarly offended that women have to use nonsterile instruments like coat hangers when they don’t have a right to choose.”

NARAL said it supports the ad because it raises an important issue that can all too easily be swept under the rug outside of election time.

“We applaud anytime a company is going to wear their values on their sleeve or on their billboard, reminding people that a woman’s right to choose is under threat in this country,” said Carr.

Carr said the ad has drummed up more support for the abortion-rights cause than any protest or organized event could achieve.

“We can continue with our pro-choice group demonstrations, but this has gotten more attention in two days than I’ve seen the issue get in a long time,” said Carr. “I think it’s a positive thing.”

While the coat hanger billboard may be generating a lot of political buzz, advertising experts said it’s probably not doing much for business.

Simon Sinek, a professor of strategic communications at Columbia University and CEO of Sinek Partners, a marketing consultancy firm, said the ad is actually just bad marketing.

“From an objective standpoint it’s bad advertising,” said Sinek. “It doesn’t communicate anything of any value to anyone with regards to the product of their service.”

Sinek says this ad screams publicity stunt, but he doesn’t think the response has been exactly what Manhattan Mini Storage had in mind.

“Stunts have one purpose only, to generate PR,” said Sinek. “If [Manhattan Mini Storage] viewed this as a stunt and knew it would generate publicity, then why aren’t they taking calls?”

McCaffrey and the Catholic League echo Sinek’s criticisms. “We think this sort of marketing ploy will work against them in the end,” said McCaffrey.

Abortion-rights advocates, however, said the ad will no doubt boost business, adding that the storage company is clearly familiar with its left-wing, New York audience.

“In New York City and New York state, we’re a pro-choice city and a pro-choice state,” said Carr. “Pro-choice people get behind a company when they share similar ideologies.”

Sinek believes that in the end, Manhattan Mini Storage lost a chance to generate publicity for its company. “They blew an opportunity. It’s bad marketing that they could’ve turned into a good PR stunt,” said Sinek. “It seems lame that somebody came up with an opinion and they didn’t think of anything beyond that.”

There’s an old saying: there’s no such thing as bad publicity. But I think there is when you end up offending a significant portion of the population — and when you use a tactic that is patently tasteless, to boot.

Photo: from ABC News