Summer holidays are fun and many brands on social media want to celebrate with customers. However, they need to remember the meaning behind the holiday. Over Memorial Day weekend, PacSun came under social media fire for selling an offensive piece of clothing.
The teen surf and skate apparel retailer displayed a t-shirt with an upside down American flag on it in a store window in Foley, Alabama. An upset customer posted a photo of the shirt on Facebook with the caption, “I understand freedom of speech but this shirt, displayed prominently at the entrance of your store, for Memorial Day weekend is more distasteful and disrespectful than anything I thought I’d see. I will not be shopping at PacSun again.” The post quickly went viral, earning more than 7,000 shares.
The upside down flag is known as a signal of extreme distress. Seeing this on Memorial Day, a day dedicated to honoring the brave men and women who have fought for our country, rightfully angered many consumers. PacSun responded by removing the shirt from its stores and website and thanking men and women in uniform for their service.
With Memorial Day just behind us and the Fourth of July coming up, brands can learn an important social media lesson from PacSun’s unfortunate mistake. Although the Fourth of July has a different significance in that we celebrate our independence, on both holidays we should remember those who have fought for our freedom. Of course, there is cause to celebrate, but brands can do so respectfully. If brands want to post about the holiday, they should make sure to add appreciation for our armed forces whose service makes our celebration possible. Remember to keep it light: social media managers don’t want to leave their audience upset or angry and making sure to show respect where respect is due can help avoid crisis management later.