The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Advertising Crisis PR Walmart

Walmart blasted after image shows rifles in back-to-school section

Author

By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

August 10, 2017 | 3 min read

An in-store display in a Walmart has shocked social media users for appearing to sell rifles in the back-to-school section.

Walmart gun

Walmart back-to-school

The notice, ‘Own the School Year Like a Hero’ was positioned atop a rifle case, at an undisclosed store. The campaign, which is being fronted by DC superheroes, has been somewhat tainted by a mistake or malevolent suggestion from a customer or employee.

Walmart said on social media that it had removed the sign. A second statement reported that there ‘was no such sign posted’ indicating that the photo was either forged or the display removed.

A spokesman for the retailer told the Washington Post: “What’s seen in this photograph would never be acceptable in our stores. We regret this situation and are looking into how it could have happened.”

Shooting themselves in the foot, the Walmart communications team claimed the sign was removed then backtracked after a spokesman said they couldn't locate the offending display.

One social media questioned the positioning of the guns, not the sign.

Advertising Crisis PR Walmart

More from Advertising

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +