31 Corporate Incidents That Definitely Cost Someone Their Job
![31 Corporate Incidents That Definitely Cost Someone Their Job](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/0/5/901405_320x180.jpg)
The world of marketing is one of the biggest businesses in the world — especially at the corporate level. Just about every agency or company has a very large hierarchy of people responsible for creating ads. That means that when anything is getting produced, several iterations and drafts have to go through this labyrinth web of people before we get to the final verdict that we see on our TV screens or the products in our favorite stores. Which makes you wonder, when BIC released a pink pen “for women,” that many people said yes?
Luckily for BIC, they aren’t alone when it comes to ill-fated decision making as a corporation. There’s the time Bing offered up retweets in exchange for disaster relief, and when Electronic Arts inadvertently shipped an illegal weapon as a gift to promote a video game.
Read on for 31 incredibly bizarre moves made by some of the world’s biggest brands…
![For one day in 2015, Burger King rolled out a fragrance called Flame-Grilled, for customers in Japan. It cost around $42, and reportedly BURGER KING smelled like cumin and onions. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/2/823602.jpg)
![GUCCI It's difficult to understand how anyone involved in production failed to see that this $890 turtleneck balaclava screamed... BLACKFACE! After social media exploded with outrage, Gucci apologized and pulled the sweater off the market. GRAGKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/7/823597.jpg)
![NEW 18587 SQUYEAU Beautifully smooth BiC released Douccat extraordinaire a pen for women. The pen was designed BIC just for her litter to (meaning that it's pink). Bull Pens / Stycos bille Med/May 10 em 2 CRACKED COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/9/823599.jpg)
![MCDONALD'S released the HULA BURGER. M It consisted of PINEAPPLE between 2 cheese slices. It was introduced as a meat alternative for Catholics that could not eat red meat on Fridays. Ultimately, it was a terrible idea and the Filet-O-Fish was popularized. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/6/823596.jpg)
![PAULA DEEN sells BUTTER-FLAVORED lip balm. It is available in her store in Savannah. - Fix People in - - ~ World C Meadowloam Seed Oil in - Natural Up Balm Base Put a little South on your mouth! ng Flavore CRACKED COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/1/823601.jpg)
![In 2014, URBAN OUTFITTERS released a blood stained sweater with holes. It read Kent State University. It received immediate criticism for its insensitivity regarding a school shooting at Kent State in 1970 where four students were killed. KENT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY STATE OHIO UNIVERSITY GRAGKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/0/823600.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM In 2017, Samsung released a hypnosis service called Unspoil Me. Unspoil me Experience your favorite TV series as if it were the first time. GO TO HYPNOSIS It promised to make you forget what happened in TV shows you watched, so you could enjoy them all over again.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/8/823598.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Peek 10:37 am Home Sep 30 twitter 2:45pm Can we meet earlier? - Jennifer Carls 1:11pm Re: Family Reunion Sarah 12:02pm A TWITTER-ONLY Soccer practice time Thomas McN... 11:58am Car service frase be service@outo... 8.38am Re: Julia's Wedding Gillian 7:45am Ra: PTA Meeting Jacqualine St... 9/29 Coffee tomorrow? PHONE. Jasse Johnst... 9/29 Club News members@g... Y $ % - & ? f / 0 8 9 6 5 2 3 2 of 7 P ® A I T R P E W O EX K H A 4 F G D S A M م N B E X](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/5/823595.jpg)
![Zippo, a well-known lighter company, once tried to dip into the perfume market by releasing perfumes bottled in the shape of a lighter. zippo GLORIOU.S. Good luck trying to use one without appearing like you're trying to set yourself on fire. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/4/823594.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Pepsi's Swedish Facebook page posted a series of ads featuring a voodoo doll of Portugal's Cristiano pepsi MAX Ronaldo, Sweden's rival for the World Cup. They took pepsi them down MAXO - - when the Portuguese threatened to boycott pepsi them. MAX](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/3/823593.jpg)
![Dogfish Beer gotfree advertising from an accidental drunken tweet by whomever was in charge of the Red Cross official account. + join us! American Red Cross - - @RedCross RedCross.org Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Head's Midas Touch beer.... when we drink we do it right #gettngslizzerd HootSuite 2/15/11 11:24 PM Luckily, the humanitarian organization had the perfect response. We've deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red Cross is sober and we've confiscated the keys. about 11 hours ago via ÜberTwitter Retweeted by 86 people + RedCross - join us! American Red Cross GRAGKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/2/823592.jpg)
![During the 2016 Oscars, a Los-Angeles website praised Oprah's tattoo on Twitter... Except it wasn't Oprah. Total Beauty Follow contently @TotalBeauty We had no idea @Oprah was #tatted, and we love it. #Oscars It was Whoopi Goldberg. Timed during a boycott over the lack of diversity in Hollywood, the tweet sparked outrage. @TotalBeauty apologized and offered to donate $10,000 to the charity of the mistaken celebs' choice. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/1/823591.jpg)
![In 2012, Columbia Records and Syco (Simon Cowell's label) announced Susan Boyle's new album with a public party, and promoted it on twitter with a seemingly innocuous #susanalbumparty The British public, and soon the rest of the world, however, quickly usurped the hashtag, tweeting tons of ...interesting... videos and photos to facilitate... Su's Anal Bum Party. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/9/823589.jpg)
![After the United States' 2014 World Cup victory over Ghana, Delta Air Lines tweeted this: Delta Follow @Delta Congrats team #USA ! Nice goal @clint_dempsey @soundersfc! #USAVGHA #USMNT #DeltaSEA pic.twitter.com/7C8iRzPzoa Reply .. Retweet Favorite ... More 2 1 RETWEETS FAVORITES 628 374 5:08 PM - 16 Jun 2014 Flag media Twitter users pointed out that there are no giraffes in Ghana. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/0/823590.jpg)
![In 2016 quilted purse giant Vera Bradley launched their #itsgoodtobeagirl campaign with user submitted social media posts describing the perks of being a girl. The posts ranged from It's better to be late tone-deaf... than to arrive WITHOUT MASCARA #itsgoodtobeagirl giving each other non-weird VII HUGS to vaguely - @hlwagner5 CRACKED.COM homophobic. - They pulled many of their posts and replaced them with inspirational quotes from Beyonce and Emma Watson.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/7/823587.jpg)
![Global Village's Facebook page in Duluth made a promotion to commemorate Martin Luther King by giving us a 25% discount on everything black COOK LES Global Village Duluth ... Like This Page 18 January 2014 adidas Annual MLK Day BLACK SALE! Не showed us that the struggle and lookin' super fly can go hand in hand. We salute him with 25% off everything black, Monday, January 20th. Much more our style than a Columbus Day sale, no? CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/8/823588.jpg)
![In 2011, PR firm The Redner Group posted a threatening tweetregarding bad reviews of DUKE NUKEM FOREVER @TheRednerGroup trg The Redner Group - - #AlwaysBetOnDuke too many went too far with their reviews...we r reviewing who gets games next time and who doesn't based on today's venom The tweet has since been deleted and the company had their contract terminated by its parent Take-Two. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/5/823585.jpg)
![In 2011, Bing tweeted that they would give donations to earthquake victims in Japan... How you can #SupportJapan - http://binged.it/FEh7iT. For every retweet, @bing will give $1 to Japan quake victims, up to $100K. about 7 hours ago via CoTweet Retweeted by 100+ people bing bing Bing ...in exchange for retweets. Obviously, backlash ensued, with many people criticizing Bing for attempting to exploit a tragedy to promote their own Twitter account. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/2/823582.jpg)
![In 2013, the Atlanta Journal- Constitution tweeted its congratulations to a lottery winner by making a joke about slavery: AJC Follow ajc @ajc $1M GA Lottery winner Willie Lynch can get 40 acres and a whole lotta mules. bit.ly/1cdQe6e Reply Retweet Favorite Pocket More 8 2 RETWEETS FAVORITES 8:35 AM-23 Oct 13 The newspaper deleted the tweet, apologized CRACKED.COM and promised appropriate disciplinary action for the employee responsible.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/3/823583.jpg)
![A few hours after the tragic shooting in Aurora, the NRA obliviously tweeted this: Follow American Rifleman TR @NRA_Rifleman Good morning, shooters. Happy Friday! Weekend plans? OZA Reply Retweet Favorite 28 4 RETWEETS FAVORITES XIN 9:20 AM-20 Jul 12 via HootSuite Embed this Tweet They claimed that they didn't know what had happened and that it was taken out of context. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/6/823586.jpg)
![A few hours after the tragic shooting in Aurora, the NRA obliviously tweeted this: Follow American Rifleman TR @NRA_Rifleman Good morning, shooters. Happy Friday! Weekend plans? OZA Reply Retweet Favorite 28 4 RETWEETS FAVORITES XIN 9:20 AM-20 Jul 12 via HootSuite Embed this Tweet They claimed that they didn't know what had happened and that it was taken out of context. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/4/823584.jpg)
![Snapchat lost around $800 million in stock after running an ad on their platform for the mobile game Would You Rather? which mocked Rihanna's abuse. Would You Rather? Imposibie Chokes WOULD YOU RATHER! Slap Rihanna Punch Chris Brown Many users deleted the app following PLAY her response. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/9/823579.jpg)
![An Indonesian marketing expert thought it would be a good idea to throw money out of a plane. Instead of a traditional campaign for his book, Tung Desem Waringin circled the soccer stadium in Serang, tossing roughly $10,000 on people who, on average, make $40/ month. The stunt ended up with a 13-year-old girl being hospitalized after collapsing in the crowd. CRACKED COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/7/823577.jpg)
![In 2009, EA shipped brass knuckles along with their upcoming game, The Godfather II to press members for promotional purposes. They soon learned The that the knuckles Godfatherll are classified as illegal weapons in many states, including California, where EA is based. IL PLAYSTATION3 M EA It's against the law to be in possession of them, and it is also illegal to ship them. They had to plead with the recipients to send the knuckles back. The game received abyssmal reviews and prompted EA to let go of the franchise. CRACKED COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/0/823580.jpg)
![In 2009, the Department of Defense caused a city-wide scare by flying airplanes around skyscrapers in New York. The stunt was an attempt by the department to take pictures of a Boeing 737 and an F-16 with historical landmarks. However, they did not adequately warn the citizens. Offices were evacuated as New Yorkers feared that another terrorist attack was happening. CRACKED COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/6/823576.jpg)
![A Czech bus that offered Auschwitz tours was decorated with designs that made Auschwitz look like Disneyland. POJEDTE DO OSVÉTIMI ES mene VYLET ZA EMOCEMI Nasi pruvodor hovori cesky This was done to use it in a movie, but the owner decided to keep the design after filming, claiming that removing it could damage the paint. After outrage from the Czech Jewish community, he quickly changed it. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/1/823581.jpg)
![Eager to promote confidence in his company's identity theft protection services, the CEO of LifeLock his Social advertising Security used number actual in an mock campaign. Perhaps fell victim to identity theft. Thirteen times. My Social Security # is: As a result, 457-55-5462 LifeLock was LifeLock. accused of Guarantee Your Good Name deceptive advertising and fined $12 million. Guarantee Your Good Name Then again, five years later. This time for $100 million. GRAGKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/4/823574.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Ford LEAVE YOUR WORRIES BEHIND. Go Further WithFlee's - Seren book An ad agency hired by Ford thought the best way to boost sales was this picture of Paris Hilton kidnapping the Kardashians. Similar ads featured racer Michael Shumacher and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/2/823572.jpg)
![Macy's decided to sell some plates by fat shaming moms. mam jeans favorite jeans mam jeans load cama odie favorite jeans skinny jeans The plates featured portion sizes described as jeans sizes, with the biggest portion size being called mom jeans. This didn't go over well, and Macy's removed the plates just hours after a picture of the plates went viral. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/5/823575.jpg)
![7:00 PM 7:00 PM Friday.October 11 Sprint g Photo Nickbook Goode Campus LG When LG promoted their G2 phone in Seoul by attaching phone vouchers to helium balloons in a park, fans turned out with BB guns (one woman came with a spear) to pop the balloons. TO the 1100 As a result of ensuing 010 chaos, several people were hospitalized. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/8/823578.jpg)
![M WAGON In 2006, McDonald's Japan ran a promotion in which 10,000 mp3 players would be awarded to lucky customers. The players contained a virus which stole data when connected to a computer. McDonald's had to provide the winners with an antivirus program and replace the players. GRAGKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/3/823573.jpg)