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Circuit Factory donates to Holocaust survivor charity following Auschwitz ad blunder

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By Ishbel Macleod, PR and social media consultant

January 12, 2012 | 1 min read

Dubai based Circuit Factor gym is donating Dh3,900 to a Leeds-based Holocaust survivor charity to dim the PR disaster following its ad campaign featuring the words ‘kiss your calories goodbye’ under a picture of the Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration camp.

Phil Parkinson, the founder of the two-year-old gym, is donating the proceeds of fitness classes that took place over the weekend following the tasteless ad being posted on the company’s Facebook page.

The ad has since been taken down, and its creator fired.

Lilian Black, chairwoman of the Holocaust Survivors Friendship Association, said: "This sort of marketing is deeply offensive, not only to the survivor community, but also to wider society.

"At least he [Mr Parkinson] has acknowledged his error and wishes to make amends. We think it would be of benefit to Mr Parkinson to take a trip to Auschwitz."

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