A supermarket in regional NSW has received an important lesson in hashtagging after it was forced to pull an online competition for what initially appeared an innocent chocolate giveaway.
The IGA at Yass – north of Canberra – announced it had pulled its Cadbury chocolate bar competition after the accompanying hashtag #igayass was reportedly bombarded with juvenile comments.
Writing to its Facebook page over the weekend, a spokesperson for the store said it would “not tolerate our staff being targeted online for some people’s amusement”.
“Unfortunately we have cancelled our 10kg Cadbury block giveaway for the time being. Yes if you read #igayass it can be funny, but we will not tolerate our staff being targeted online for some people’s amusement,” the post read.
Other wags were also quick to point out that IGA’s retraction also came with the line “stay tuned for a new way to enter”.
However, the internet is divided over the store’s decision to can the promotion. Some labelling it a marketing fail, others declaring it a genuine mistake, while others suggested it was done on purpose to garner publicity, with staff all in on the joke, too.
“When Boomers hashtag,” one person wrote.
“I can’t speak for others, but I legit would never have seen that if not highlighted,” one wrote.
Another added: “So people had a bit of immature humour. Who cares. However if a staff member was harassed that’s a different matter.”
One person penned: “Are people really carrying on about this? Oh lighten up!!”
“Why do some have to wreck it for others? This is hilarious and should be used for all the marketing purposes you can!” a woman said.
“I don’t get why it was such a problem in the first place, I think the people who have the problem with it are the problem with society,” another chap ranted.
And it’s certainly not the first time the goodly folk of Yass have struggled with its marketing due to the difficulties associated with the town’s name.
Another Twitter user was quick to resurrect the (in)famous billboard from a few years ago advertising the town’s McDonald’s that also fell victim to some careless copywriting. Relive it below:
