Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesZales. What are you doing?! We need to have a talk with you. We understand you wanted to have a big one-day sale. That's fine.
But either you were tone-deaf enough to pick Sept. 11 as the start date for your big sale, or you thought you would leverage this historic and devastating date in America's history to have a promotional sale. Either way…no. Just no. Also, why?!
A reddit user spotted this sign at a Zales store in an Omaha mall that we assume is supposed to be promoting the big 9/11 sale:
"Ask me about 9/11!" urges the note. Obviously, most people's first instinct is to think about the tragic terrorist attacks that changed our nation forever. No one is thinking, "Hm, I bet this has to do with a sale on diamond earrings!"
Zales even twists the words of the post-9/11 slogan "Remember, Rebuild, Renew" on their brochures to tout shiny products.
"Renew, Reset, Restyle," reads the pamphlet. There is no hand big enough to adequately face-palm ourselves in response to that one.
The store manager told NY Daily News that the promotion idea came from higher up the corporate ladder.
"I honestly don't pick the dates, the company picks the dates," she said.
Also, if you go to Zales' website, they are advertising their online only sale that starts today. So when they want you to ask them about 9/11, it's really all about their online and in-store discounts. But when people see that date, no one's minds immediately go to jewelry. How did no one in marketing stop this?!
Even if Zales is completely innocent and had no intention of using Sept. 11 as a crass selling vehicle, they really should have taken a beat to think about their sale start date. Because when promoting said sale, they have to splash "ask us about 9/11!" all over the place. And that's just the last thing people want to see while walking around the mall.
Zales has not yet responded to our request for comment.
Attention companies and brands! Print, laminate and save this for next year and all the other years following: