If you read, listened to, or watched a "news" report about Dunkin Donuts ill-fated commercial featuring Rachel Ray wearing a scarf supposedly resembling a keffiyeh, please raise your hand. I caught this important breaking news story on network, local, and cable TV news, on the radio, in print, on the web, and in the blogosphere. What a hot topic at the water cooler!

I remember hearing about the old days, before the Internet, before television, when a traffic accident could make news. Supposedly, one savvy merchant painted the name of his establishment on a truck and crashed it in a busy intersection at rush hour. The next morning, front page, above the fold you could clearly see the name of his establishment in the picture. A tragic accident?

And Rachel's scarf: a culturally insensitive fashion faux pas? What if Hill Holliday had selected a tasteful Chadwick Ventilo La Colline floral instead? Would you even know that Rachel Ray enjoys an occasional iced coffee? How many of us who saw, heard, or read about Dunkin's decision to pull the ad would have ever been exposed to the campaign let alone remember it?

I'm not sure whether I'm cynical or unintentionally ad-ing to a clever campaign. When I see the exposure and awareness created by Paris enjoying a burger while washing the family car or of a halftime wardrobe malfunction, I can't help but wonder: bad taste or brilliant promotion?