The problem though is that while some may think any publicity is good publicity, given the choice good publicity is better than bad publicity. In the short term bad publicity does draw the attention but in the long term it hurts more than it helps.
In the long term, nobody will remember the poop-joke controversy. Except as a reason to mock some "fans".
This is not a perfect analogy but look at Britney Spears. For awhile there she was acting out and doing all kinds of things as she was melting down and was getting huge amounts of publicity (I know because I was at the point that I wanted to get rid of my TV due to the saturation coverage). Just because everyone at that point knew her and what she was doing didn't mean that that was the right kind of publicity, rather instead of paying attention to her as an artist, we were all watching her as a sideshow and a target of ridicule and the respect of her as an artist went down instead of up.
Back to WotC. Sure this cartoon drew attention to 4th edition, but at what cost.
At what cost? I suppose the cost the artist and writing team demand, right?
You are simply wrong if you believe that this cartoon creates "bad press".
Bad press if people say:
"You know, WotC created a webcomic that is racist* and supports taking cocaine."
"WotC has offered a batch of products for pre-order, took the money, and then said they couldn't hope to deliver. It is even said the brand manager knew beforehand that it wouldn't work out".
"WotC has decided not to spend the 1,000,000 $ they promised to the
terre d'homme.
"WotC Brand Manager has been repeatedly accused of sexual harassment, but one of his superiors was cited. 'What - she is hot, she had it coming.' "
That's bad press.
"Oh, look, WotC has put out a cartoon that used poop jokes and mocked both fans and haters." is not bad press.
Britney Spear bad press is not "Oh my god, she made a poop joke in public! How could she! How can we take her serious as an artist, and how can we let her raise a child now."
It was more "Oh my god, she has an alcohol/drug abuse problem - what will happen to her child?"
*) Though personally, I can even laugh about racist joke, even though racismn is one of the few things I could punch people in the face for, if it ever came to it.