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This year is no different, as evidenced by a Coca-Cola display prominently erected in the middle of a Walmart in Panama City Beach, Fla.
The display is composed of 12 packs of Coca-Cola original (red boxes), Diet Coke (silver boxes) and Sprite (blue boxes) arranged in the shape of a giant American flag. Before the flag stands two large rectangles composed of 12 packs of Coke Zero (black boxes), which are clearly meant to represent the twin towers.
Hanging above the display is a banner bearing both Coca-Cola and Walmart's logos. Over an image of the pre-9/11 New York City skyline are the words "We Will Never Forget," and in the top right corner is "9-11-01."
Under the banner is a sign announcing that Coca-Cola 12 packs are on sale for $3.33. "Rollback," the sign states.
The display first came to the public's attention through a tweet by a user named @online_shawn, which has been retweeted 2,434 times and liked 4,071.
Florida c'mon man pic.twitter.com/HU4y2rxgFG— captain glasses (@online_shawn) September 6, 2016
Needless to say, anger rolled in faster than you can say "face-palm."
"This is one of the lamest things I've ever seen," tweeted one user. Another called it "crass commercialization." "Utterly tasteless," tweeted a third. "Is that real?!" asked one user. "Dear God, tell me that isn't real." Etcetera, ad nauseam.
Walmart spokesman Charles Crowson told the Orlando Weekly that the display, which was conceived by Coke and approved by Walmart, was currently being taken down.
Neither Walmart nor Coke is the first company to come under fire for invoking the national tragedy as a means to sell stuff.
Each year, companies roll out deals and tweets associated with the attacks, and each year they face a tidal wave of backlash and outrage in response.
One of the more galling examples came in 2014 when the Birmingham, Ala.-based clothing company Tied to the South requested 2,296 retweets, one for each person who had lost his/her life in the attack. The tweet showed one of the towers, just after the attack.
The tweet, like all of the following examples, has been removed after public outcry but not before an intrepid Internet user saves an image.
That same year, the Timehop app's Twitter account posted a tweet with two photos: one showing its dinosaur mascot looking at an animated New York City cityscape with two beams of light where the towers were, and another showing the dinosaur pointing at the first photo and saying "Memba dis?"
Absolutely #breathtaking 9/11 tribute: cartoon dinosaur asking "memba dis?". Do u memba? Memba when the towers fell? pic.twitter.com/pFLSwncTa6— Helena Bottom-Farter (@solikebasically) September 11, 2014
Finally, Build-a-Bear, the company that allows customers to create their own stuffed teddy bears, tweeted a now-retracted photo of a bear in fatigues, which one prominent user called tone-deaf.
Some companies removed the tweet, while others like AT&T, which in 2013 posted a photograph of a telephone photographing the Tribute in Light searchlights, issue an apology.
We apologize to anyone who felt our post was in poor taste. The image was solely meant to pay respect to those affected by the 9/11 tragedy.— AT&T (@ATT) September 11, 2013
Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive later told AdWeek, "Yesterday, we did a post on social media intended to honor those impacted by the events of 9/11. Unfortunately, the image used in the post fell woefully short of honoring the lives lost on that tragic day."
Many users have wondered why some brands feel the need to acknowledge it at all.
It becomes even more head-scratching when companies that sell adult products participate. Both Fleshlight and Intimacy Box, companies that sell adult products, tweeted about the attacks in 2014, and the latter even offered a 40 percent discount.
Other companies that have offered a 9/11 discount, according to AdAge, include Marks Wholesale Socks, Formula Fresh and Caffeine Supreme.
In honor of patriots today, all juice is 15% off! Come see us at the juicery! #rememberourheroes… http://t.co/ZSNcFiA8FV— Formula Fresh (@formula_fresh) September 11, 2014
In remembrance of 9/11 we will be doing a patriotic special drink! 15%off Vanilla Blasts if you want it dyed red... http://t.co/VRUUBqvFOB— Caffeine Supreme (@CaffeineSupreme) September 11, 2014
In fact, the practice has become so common that after the Onion created a fake ad for Subway promising two foot-long subs for $9.11 with the tagline "Fly on in for Subtember 11" and displaying a truly offensive photograph, one location accepted the coupon as if it were real.
The corporation itself quickly took issue with the satirical ad.
Like everyone, we are deeply offended by the fake story and ad created by The Onion.— Subway® (@SUBWAY) September 6, 2013
Each of the incidents spark outrage. So much so that experts suggest companies avoid the somber anniversary completely.
"We've been saying to people, there's probably no right way to do this," J. Walker Smith, executive chairman at the Futures Company consultancy, told the New York Times in 2011. "If I were a marketer, I would let the moment pass. Anything you do could be seen as self-serving or disrespectful."
Marian Salzman, an author and marketing expert, agreed.
"On one level, you want to convey a sense of empathy and sympathy and patriotism. On another level, there's a belief that every milestone in American history has been turned into a marketing opportunity," Salzman told the NYT. "My advice would be to go dark. There's no place for brands to live."
But if the Walmart/Coke display in Florida is any indication, some brands are still learning.


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Thank you for taking the time to visit this page to find out about Colchester Classics, CD mail-order service to clever customers, choirs and at concerts.
Thank you Colchester Life for featuring Colchester Classics and Liz Leatherdale as your local business hero in April 2017.
Here is the blog Colchester Life published – says it all – totally overwhelmed by this. Thank you Colchester Life.
"This year Colchester Classics is celebrating 11 years as a classical music service to clever collectors and those just starting their love affair with music, choirs and concerts. Founder Liz Leatherdale is a Colcestrian with an impressive classical music heritage and a passion for providing great, personal service to help people on a journey of discovery.
Inspired to create her 'own job' by her son, after many years working in the music industry, Liz formed Colchester Classics in 2006. By mixing her two strengths of marketing and music, Liz sources and supplies CDs directly to customers anywhere in the world and offers all major classical music CD and DVD labels. Her customers wax lyrical about Liz's uncanny ability to identify their personal preferences and guide them towards trying something new. A kind of well-informed "If you liked this, try this…" service, if you will.
Colchester Classics has developed a unique and innovative service, supplying CDs to choirs, orchestras and at concerts, and they now serve many of the local choral societies in in Essex and Suffolk. Liz also creates opportunities for CD sales and CD signings at concerts in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk with international artists such as Tasmin Little, Piers Lane, John Lill and Noriko Ogawa. The website is jam-packed with information and offers, and Liz has special sections for vinyl and even film music – if you've ever heard a beautiful aria in a soundtrack and would love to know where it's from, Liz will be able to help!
So, yes, Liz is a very busy lady – but not only does she have time for each and every customer, she also promotes local classical music events on social media and writes weekly and monthly columns in the local press, previewing and reviewing concerts in our musically thriving area."
Essex Life magazine feature – Me and my pets: Maximas and Mrs Tibbles. Liz Leatherdale tells us about her pre-loved pets, Maximas and Mrs Tibbles, and how they have had an impact on her life – Here
Here to help you hear more music on CD, discover new composers, read reviews of CDs and explore more than then snippet of music you just heard on the radio!
Looking to add CDs to your collection? Here to help you hear more on CD. Have you wasted money on CDs you never listen to? Don't just click on a website and hope you get the music you could love, 'phone Colchester Classics on 0800 999 6994 and get the music you really want
Would you like to learn and hear more about classical music? Why not join our exclusive database? To receive emails about classical music CD reviews, offers and competitions, please sign up here . You can also connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Our Offers page has recently been updated with offers including Take 5 Chandos CDs for £55*, 1 July 2016 all Naxos single CDs will be £7.50* with the multi-buy offer of 5 for £35* and last but not least 2 Dutton Epoch CDs for £24* (See Offers page for T&Cs.) Other pages are regularly updated too – please take a look!
Our aim is to make music easily available and make you wonder how you ever coped without these CDs and DVDs in your collection! Your carefully considered choices of music are always despatched quickly in our perfectly packaged parcels. Although we specialise in Chandos CDs we supply CDs from all other classical music CD and DVD labels.
We support festivals, choirs, ensembles and orchestras with recommended CDs and also previewing and reviewing concerts in Essex Life, Essex County Standard and Colchester Gazette. To find out more about these weekly and monthly columns, please click on the NEWS bar above.
New UK Postal Address Please note that our address of UK PO Box is no longer active . All mail sent to this address will be returned to you. New UK 2nd class pre-paid envelope will be supplied with our new address of St Austell, 47 Gladwin Road, Colchester CO2 8HW.
Overseas Postal Address – Please note our Overseas Postal address and also UK & Overseas return address remains 343 Straight Road, Colchester. Co3 9EF.
Recommend a Friend – I am sure your friends must share your passion in Classical Music and value a friendly, personal service.
Did you know … when your friend places an order, just ask them to mention your name. That way we can thank you and remind you to enjoy any Chandos single CD for £8* (usually £12.25*) with your next order.
As we have no showroom facilities or a retail outlet in Colchester we can pass our savings directly on to you.
Colchester Classics was launched following an exclusive franchise arrangement with Chandos specialising in Chandos CDs plus many other CD labels too.
Colchester Classics offers an award-winning service to a UK and worldwide customer base plus many local music societies and members.
"With a passion for classical music and many years experience in the music industry my vision for Colchester Classics, launched in January 2006, was to be the very best – a knowledgeable, friendly and personal CD service of the highest quality.
I recognised the importance to customers of the personal touch – in identifying their individual preferences and offering guidance to try something new. This creative approach has encouraged growth in repeat sales and attracted new clients – many through personal recommendation. Classical music is increasingly becoming more popular and with recent collaborations with affiliated quality service providers I'm looking to penetrate new markets to ensure Colchester Classics' continued success." Liz Leatherdale, Managing Director, Colchester Classics.
Liz Leatherdale graduated with a BA(Hons) and LGSM in Music followed by post-graduate courses in Communications, Advertising and Marketing.
Liz has combined both her music and marketing experiences through her career at both the BBC and also at Chandos Records Ltd.
Liz is joined at Colchester Classics by a team of assistants including her husband, James. He ensures that each CD order is checked, packaged to a very high standard and despatched as efficiently and fast as possible. The assistance of James and others has been instrumental in providing constant support to Liz and ensuring the successful continuation of Colchester Classics since 2006.

subset: commoncrawl


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For those of you out there who love to find ways to make extra money, how about getting paid to list your classifieds and auction ads?
Listasaurus.com is the first website that pays you just to list your classifieds and auctions, so instead of paying fees like on eBay, they will pay you just for listing your ad, even if you don't sell your item or have something you're giving away!
They do have guidelines and criteria for what makes an ad eligible for payment...and you get paid 25 cents per ad, but hey, it all adds up in my book.
Also, another feature that makes Listasaurus.com quite the pioneer is you can include video in your listings! They're one of the only video classifieds sites out there--and they say they're the first site to feature video auctions. I haven't even seen video on eBay yet!
I think it's a great website with a lot to offer… definitely ahead of the curve as far as the video goes, and getting paid is also a bonus.
References: listasaurus & listasaurus