It's getting hard to keep track of brands' social media fails of late, but the latest comes from Seasalt and Co., a Florida-based graphic design company that sells Photoshop tools. And this one was a multipart mess.
First, Seasalt posted a truly bizarre ad on Facebook, showing an ominous looking tree with a noose tied to it. This was somehow meant to advertise a new set of Photoshop tools. But to many, it looked disturbingly like a reference to lynching.
And that's where things got even worse.
Instead of removing the ad, or offering a reasonable explanation for it, the company first got into full defensive mode—defending the ad, both on Facebook and Twitter, and threatening legal action against those who complained about it.
@seasaltcompany thinks using a "hanging tree" with a noose to advertise isn't about race #happyblackhistorymonthpic.twitter.com/3UbwkRaltB
— Rachel Stewart (@RStewartJewelry) February 16, 2015@RStewartJewelry And it isn't. You were giving a full explanation Of our collection. Again we apologize for you non-understanding.
— Seasalt & Co. (@seasaltcompany) February 16, 2015@seasaltcompany just for that smug response I'm gonna make sure all 20k plus of my followers across social Media see your Hanging tree.
— Rachel Stewart (@RStewartJewelry) February 16, 2015@RStewartJewelry So be it. We are fully prepared for legal acton.
— Seasalt & Co. (@seasaltcompany) February 16, 2015
Eventually Seasalt did remove the ad. In fact, it took its whole Facebook page down for a while today. When the page returned, it was wiped clean of the whole interaction—and in its place was a half-defense, half-apology for the ad.
"It has nothing to do with any race at all," the company says. "Our collection is about rising above and refusing to let the world run us and hang us by any mistakes we have made or didn't make. ... We are tired of the hate, judgement and injustice. Seeing the noose wasn't meant to think of a certain race being hung. It was left empty to represent that we refuse to be judged and hung in a non literally sense. ... We apologize for any hurt feelings, we are taking means to remedy this issue."
Hopefully the company learned something from the whole fiasco. And perhaps they could make room in the budget for a proofreader, too.
So we should punish someone based on their personal matters? Absolutely not how we conduct business. People deserve cances.
— Seasalt & Co. (@seasaltcompany) February 17, 2015