UPDATE, Sept. 12, 11:05 a.m. ET: Randall Stephenson, AT&T's chairman and CEO, has issued a statement apologizing for the company's 9/11 tweet and Facebook post.
"It is a day that should never be forgotten and never, ever commercialized," he said in the statement. "I commit AT&T to this standard as we move forward."
Here's the full statement:
We’re big believers that social media is a great way to engage with our customers because the conversation is constant, personal and dynamic.
Yesterday, we did a post on social media intended to honor those impacted by the events of 9/11. Unfortunately, the image used in the post fell woefully short of honoring the lives lost on that tragic day.
I want to personally express to our customers, employees, and all those impacted by the events of 9/11 my heartfelt apologies. I consider that date a solemn occasion each year, a time when I reach out to those I was with on that awful day, share a moment of reflection for the lives lost and express my love of country. It is a day that should never be forgotten and never, ever commercialized. I commit AT&T to this standard as we move forward.
AT&T's attempt at acknowledging the anniversary of the Sept. 11 with a tweet and Facebook post using the phrase "never forget" may be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Like many brands, AT&T made the decision to join the social media conversation about the anniversary, but it did so by including a picture that looked a little too much like product placement. Here is a screengrab of the tweet, which has since been deleted:
The tweet was widely criticized and lampooned:
@ATT How dare you?! You're using this tragedy to ADVERTISE? GFY.— Joe Manna (@JoeManna) September 11, 2013
#NeverForget... That AT&T is having a sale on #Smartphones! (with a 2-year contract). @ATT— Spencer Hicks (@SpencerLenox) September 11, 2013
We've reached out to AT&T for comment about their thinking for the 9/11 post and will update when we hear back. The company did however post an update on Twitter apologize to anyone who was offended by the original tweet:
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.— AT&T (@ATT) September 11, 2013
While AT&T's 9/11 post appears to be the most criticized, many other brands attempted to be part of the conversation around the anniversary with mixed feedback:
We'll never forget. #neverforget #September11 http://t.co/hMj3psXQzr— Boar's Head (@Boars_Head) September 11, 2013
#NeverForget— Waffle House (@WaffleHouse) September 11, 2013
Never Forget. (Image used courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard, photo by Public Affairs 2nd Class Mike Hvozda) pic.twitter.com/zgdgih5Jbz— Smith & Wesson Corp. (@SmithWessonCorp) September 11, 2013
god bless the inventor of the screenshot pic.twitter.com/qImd8peRXi— Mike Isaac (@MikeIsaac) September 11, 2013
Do you think these efforts are appropriate? Share in the comments.