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Rolling Stone editors issue explanation as Twitter and retailers turn against Boston Marathon bomber cover

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By Stephen Lepitak, -

July 18, 2013 | 4 min read

The online response to Rolling Stone’s decision to place the surviving suspect Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover continues, with US retailers Walgreens and CVS both tweeting that they will not carry the edition, with Coca-Cola’s VP of global advertising strategy and creative excellence also tweeting his disapproval. The decision to run the picture of Tsarnaev on the cover has provoked widespread outcry across the US, leading the editors of the publication to add an explanation online to the original piece. The explanation read: “Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens.”The Mayor of Boston Tom Menino has also released a letter written to Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner stating that the city does not appreciate the magazine treating Tsarnaev as a celebrity. Jonathan Mildenhall, Coca-Cola’s highly respective creative chief tweeted last night: “#RollingStoneMagazine - only got bad thoughts and feelings for you. Business that bad? You've lost me. Of that I promise. #pitinmystomach”Meanwhile, Donald Trump has also tweeted to call for a boycott of the publications as well. Thousands have also taken to Twitter to display their displeasure at the decision, some of which can be read below:

Coca-Cola Twitter Rolling Stone

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