"Talk about bad taste!"

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

To use a line from the classic 1967 film The Producers.

https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/11/kfc_bot_germany/


KFC bot urges Germans to mark Kristallnacht with cheesy chicken


Tasteless food chain claims 'semi-automated' process skipped internal review process


US fast food chain KFC has apologized for a promotional message sent via its app that encouraged customers to commemorate Kristallnacht by ordering extra cheese on their chicken.

Kristallnacht was a pogrom carried out against Jewish Germans on the night of November 9, 1938, by Nazis. It takes its name from the shards of glass found in streets the next day that had been smashed out of windows in synagogues, Jewish businesses and other buildings owned by German Jews.

More than 90 people were killed in the attacks, which are often considered the beginning of the Holocaust.

Decidedly out of tone for such a somber day, the chicken chain said Wednesday: "Gedenktag an die Reichspogromnacht. Gönn dir ruhig mehr zarten cheese zum knusprigen chicken. Jetzt bei KFCheese!" ("It's memorial day for Kristallnacht. Treat yourself with more tender cheese on your crispy chicken. Now at KFCheese!"

German tabloid Bild, which shared screenshots of the offending push notification (in German), said that KFC apologized soon after with a second push notification that blamed an error in its system.
According to screenshots of KFC's apology shared on Twitter (automatically translated), the German arm of the US company apologized, saying it would check its internal processes to ensure the accident never happened again.

Daniel Sugarman, director of public affairs for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, shared the image of the apology, calling the affair "absolutely hideous."

KFC responded to questions from Newsweek about the incident, saying it uses a semi-automated system to link calendars with days marked on the national calendar (not all of which can properly be described as holidays) to its content creation process. This time, KFC said, its internal review process wasn't followed, resulting in the offensive notification.

"We have suspended app communications while we examine our current process to ensure such an issue does not occur again. We understand and respect the gravity and history of this day, and remain committed to equity, inclusion and belonging for all," KFC said. ®

It would seem that for some companies no advertising opportunity should ever be considered inappropriate!

[Cow Poke]

To use a line from the classic 1967 film The Producers.

https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/11/kfc_bot_germany/


KFC bot urges Germans to mark Kristallnacht with cheesy chicken


Tasteless food chain claims 'semi-automated' process skipped internal review process


US fast food chain KFC has apologized for a promotional message sent via its app that encouraged customers to commemorate Kristallnacht by ordering extra cheese on their chicken.

Kristallnacht was a pogrom carried out against Jewish Germans on the night of November 9, 1938, by Nazis. It takes its name from the shards of glass found in streets the next day that had been smashed out of windows in synagogues, Jewish businesses and other buildings owned by German Jews.

More than 90 people were killed in the attacks, which are often considered the beginning of the Holocaust.

Decidedly out of tone for such a somber day, the chicken chain said Wednesday: "Gedenktag an die Reichspogromnacht. Gönn dir ruhig mehr zarten cheese zum knusprigen chicken. Jetzt bei KFCheese!" ("It's memorial day for Kristallnacht. Treat yourself with more tender cheese on your crispy chicken. Now at KFCheese!"

German tabloid Bild, which shared screenshots of the offending push notification (in German), said that KFC apologized soon after with a second push notification that blamed an error in its system.
According to screenshots of KFC's apology shared on Twitter (automatically translated), the German arm of the US company apologized, saying it would check its internal processes to ensure the accident never happened again.

Daniel Sugarman, director of public affairs for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, shared the image of the apology, calling the affair "absolutely hideous."

KFC responded to questions from Newsweek about the incident, saying it uses a semi-automated system to link calendars with days marked on the national calendar (not all of which can properly be described as holidays) to its content creation process. This time, KFC said, its internal review process wasn't followed, resulting in the offensive notification.

"We have suspended app communications while we examine our current process to ensure such an issue does not occur again. We understand and respect the gravity and history of this day, and remain committed to equity, inclusion and belonging for all," KFC said. ®

It would seem that for some companies no advertising opportunity should ever be considered inappropriate!

This seems consistent with a number of other advertising flops due to really bad translation, or transliteration, many of which were totally innocent.

There as the "Coke Adds Life" campaign that translated into Japanese as "Coke Brings Your Ancestors Back to Life".

Obviously, this wouldn't be in the "humorous" category, but it's not necessarily in the "tone deaf" category, either.

[CivilDiscourse]

This seems consistent with a number of other advertising flops due to really bad translation, or transliteration, many of which were totally innocent.

There as the "Coke Adds Life" campaign that translated into Japanese as "Coke Brings Your Ancestors Back to Life".

Obviously, this wouldn't be in the "humorous" category, but it's not necessarily in the "tone deaf" category, either.

It sounds like a basic corporate screw-up. Someone had an idea, it wasn't a bad one. Automated messages on holidays. It got done, but nobody bothered to check it against the holidays on the calendar to make sure that it would catch these types of foreseeable* incidents.

*Foreseeable with regards to someone who would/should be responsible for having a baseline understanding of the culture that they are advertising in.

[Cow Poke]

It sounds like a basic corporate screw-up. Someone had an idea, it wasn't a bad one. Automated messages on holidays. It got done, but nobody bothered to check it against the holidays on the calendar to make sure that it would catch these types of foreseeable* incidents.

*Foreseeable with regards to someone who would/should be responsible for having a baseline understanding of the culture that they are advertising in.

Yeah, nothing over which one should get their nickers in a twist, and not worth starting a thread to announce.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Yeah, nothing over which one should get their nickers in a twist, and not worth starting a thread to announce.

Lol! It was such an unimportant topic and pointless thread that you felt the need to not only be the first to reply to it, but felt the urge to make a subsequent post!

It seems that where you are concerned, while my sins may be scarlet my posts are invariably read!

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

A

Yeah, nothing over which one should get their nickers in a twist, and not worth starting a thread to announce.

As for it being nothing for "which one should get their nickers in a twist" it seems that Daniel Sugarman does not share your view of the insignificance of the advert.

[Mountain Man]

This seems consistent with a number of other advertising flops due to really bad translation, or transliteration, many of which were totally innocent.

There as the "Coke Adds Life" campaign that translated into Japanese as "Coke Brings Your Ancestors Back to Life".

Obviously, this wouldn't be in the "humorous" category, but it's not necessarily in the "tone deaf" category, either.

I forget which language it was, but the KFC slogan "It's finger lickin' good!" translated to something like "You will eat your fingers!"

[Cow Poke]

I forget which language it was, but the KFC slogan "It's finger lickin' good!" translated to something like "You will eat your fingers!"

Yes, there are a bunch of examples of really bad translation. I used to keep a poster that listed the best ones.

[Cow Poke]

Lol! It was such an unimportant topic and pointless thread that you felt the need to not only be the first to reply to it, but felt the urge to make a subsequent post!

It's a slow day on Tweb.

It seems that where you are concerned, while my sins may be scarlet my posts are invariably read!

You're still a . That won't change.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

It's a slow day on Tweb.



You're still a . That won't change.

You just cannot resist, can you?

[Gondwanaland]

A

As for it being nothing for "which one should get their nickers in a twist" it seems that Daniel Sugarman does not share your view of the insignificance of the advert.

Who cares what Daniel Sugarman has to say?

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Who cares what Daniel Sugarman has to say?

Evidently you do not but then equally who cares what you write?

However, as he is on the Board of Deputies of British Jews one supposes he does have a right to make his views known.

[Gondwanaland]

Evidently you do not but then equally who cares what you write?

However, as he is on the Board of Deputies of British Jews one supposes he does have a right to make his views known.

Wow, he belongs to a communal organization. So what?

[rogue06]

Yes, there are a bunch of examples of really bad translation. I used to keep a poster that listed the best ones.

There's a bunch of examples in the Engrish thread.

[Cow Poke]

You just cannot resist, can you?

I am free to post anywhere on any topic any time I want.

(except in the Girls' dorm, for which I got a smackdown )