What Marketer Mocks Sept. 11?
If you mock the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in a marketing spot, you’re going to get what you deserve.
Miracle Mattress, a small company in San Antonio, TX, created a “9/11 Sale” commercial that it posted on its Facebook page showing two store workers collapsing into and smashing down two towers of mattresses and joking about that terrible day. If it could get any worse, the ad appears to have been sanctioned by the manager, who also appears in the ad screaming as the “towers” fall and then saying “we’ll never forget.”
The response was swift and furious and the company quickly took down the ad, but it was too late, it had already gone viral. The company apologized and pledged to support 9-11 causes.
We’ve seen plenty of blunders by marketers either trying to be funny, or latching on to a current event or movement, like this one marking the 15th anniversary of 9-11. But this ad is so egregious Miracle Mattress got just what it deserved: it was forced to close its doors indefinitely.
Watch the video that includes analysis by media analyst Mark Dice.
