Just as surely as Sept. 11 comes around once a year, we can also be sure that someone is going to exploit the anniversary of the attacks that happened that day with an ill-advised marketing gimmick. An early entrant to the marketing hall of shame this year is a Florida Walmart and its 9/11 “We Will Never Forget” American flag tribute — complete with the World Trade Center towers — made entirely out of Coca-Cola products.
The “what the heck were they thinking?” moment was captured by a shopper earlier this week who posted an image of the display on Twitter (h/t Business Insider). To add insult to injury, centered directly between the two towers is a “Rollback” sign promoting Coca-Cola 12 packs on sale for $3.33. Sigh:
People were displeased, to say the least, expressing their disgust with the display on Twitter.
A Walmart spokesman told Orlando Weekly that the display was taken down. He added that Coke usually approaches Walmart with its ideas, and the company either approves or denies it. In this case, Walmart apparently gave the go-ahead.
Previously in bad 9/11-themed marketing ideas: Movie Execs Realize Promo With Exploding Buildings And A Sept. 11 Release Date Doesn’t Go Over Well; AT&T Apologizes For Reminding Customers It Sells Smartphones On 9/11; Golf Course’s $9.11 Promo For 9/11 Provides Yet Another Example Of A Marketing No-No
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist