AT&T tried to capture the mood of the 12-year anniversary of 9/11 Wednesday with a tweet in tribute. The problem: too much AT&T, not enough tribute.
The telecommunications giant posted a Twitter picture of one of its smartphones snapping a photo of the Twin Towers Tribute in Light memorial with the remainder of the New York City skyline in the background. The caption was “Never Forget” — but critics’ takeaway was the inappropriate use of product placement on such an occasion.
Twitter users responded by calling the tweet “tacky” and “disgusting.”
AT&T subsequently removed the picture and added, “We apologize to anyone who felt our post was in poor taste. The image was solely meant to pay respect to those affected by the 9/11 tragedy.”
The apology didn’t seem to ease Twitter users who continued to post negative banter.
@ATT this is what we call a ‘fauxpology’
— bunnyhero (@bunnyhero) September 11, 2013
“We apologize to anyone who felt our post was in poor taste.” boycott a company that uses a national tragedy as a marketing ploy! @att
— Ashley Nicole Conway (@ANConway) September 11, 2013
I hope @ATT realizes that they have made a terrible mistake and they need a better apology than the one they’re currently offering.
— eec (@eecully) September 11, 2013
The image continued to be retweeted and posted throughout the day.
