Picture: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/att-apologizes-911-image-showing-phone-framing-tribute-light-152363
Today, on the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, AT&T posted an ad on Twitter of a smartphone being held up along the New York skyline where the Twin Towers used to stand. It is unethical to use a tragic event to promote a brand or product in the media. The blatant product placement was in poor taste and was very offensive to those who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks of 2001. The marketing department at AT&T most likely recognized the massive amount of attention the anniversary of 9/11 was getting and used the tragedy to their advantage. AT&T apologized after receiving criticism for the ad being in poor taste, something that the marketing department should have understood before the ad was put out. If AT&T truly wanted to send their condolences to those affected by 9/11, the ethical thing to have done would have been to release a statement, not use the event to promote their brand and their product. The unethical decision to include September 11th, 2001 in an advertisement for a telecommunications corporation has most likely cost the company customers and supporters.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/marketing-tragedy-when-ads-become-apologies/article14267057/