A contest by Adecco, the world’s largest staffing firm, prompted a deluge of negative comments on social media. Its “Around the World in 80 Jobs” contest aimed to allow eight contestants to earn the opportunity to travel the world this summer sampling 10 jobs each. However, a blogger who runs a website with the same name fired back at the staffing firm.

Blogger Turner Barr claimed Adecco used his brand, image and Web personality in its marketing campaign. Barr’s two-year-old website, “Around the World in 80 Jobs,” chronicles his traveling the world working and taking jobs in different countries.

Barr, in an open letter to Adecco on his website, suggested the company apologize; compensate him the same amount paid to the advertising firm for the marketing initiative, which he estimated at $50,000; stop using the “Around the World in 80 Jobs” brand; and make a $50,000 charitable donation to the Save Elephant Foundation.

Adecco’s Facebook page and Twitter site have been inundated with critical comments about the staffing firm’s use of the concept. 

“We worked to resolve this and to create a mutually beneficial solution. And we will continue to do so.” Adecco said in an email to Staffing Industry Analysts. “In the meantime, our goal remains to inspire young people to find a way to work.”

Adecco posted the following response on its Facebook site in response to the criticism:

We’re sorry for some recent negative comments and we’d like to clarify.

The intention of Adecco’s youth initiative was to give perspective to young people so they can better prepare to enter the workforce and achieve their ambitions. Youth unemployment throughout the world is an at all time high. This can not stand.

We understand there is concern with the use of the term “Around the World in 80 Jobs” and we take this seriously. We’ve worked to resolve this and to create a mutually beneficial solution. We will continue to do so. In the meantime, our only goal is to inspire young people to find a way to work. We invite you to join us.