On Tuesday, the renowned gambling firm William Hill sparked controversy on social media after it appeared to trivialize the recent tragic events in Lebanon by referencing them in a promotional post. The post, which has since been deleted, featured an image of a man checking his phone with the caption “When you don’t hear your phone go off because it’s set to ‘Lebanon’. #winning”.
The reference to “Lebanon” in the post was seemingly in jest, playing on the word’s similarity to the term “vibrate” and suggesting that the man’s phone was not set to silent. However, the timing of the post could not have been more inappropriate, as it came just days after a series of devastating bombings in Beirut killed over 200 people and injured thousands more.
The insensitive post quickly sparked outrage among social media users, many of whom condemned William Hill for using such a tragic event to make light of their product. One Twitter user wrote, “This is absolutely disgusting. Using a tragic event like the Beirut bombings for your own gain is sickening. Shame on you, William Hill.”
In response to the backlash, William Hill issued a statement apologizing for the post and explaining that it was not meant to make light of the situation in Lebanon. “We sincerely apologize for any offense caused by our recent social media post. It was not our intention to trivialize the tragic events in Lebanon, and we regret any hurt or harm that may have been caused,” the statement read.
Despite the apology, many social media users remain unconvinced, with some calling for a boycott of the company. The incident has reignited debates about the ethics of using current events for marketing purposes and the responsibility that brands have to be sensitive to global tragedies.
This is not the first time that a gambling company has faced backlash for a tone-deaf social media post. In 2014, Paddy Power came under fire for a tweet promoting betting odds on the outcome of the Oscar Pistorius trial, a move that was widely criticized as insensitive.
As the fallout from this latest incident continues to unfold, it serves as a reminder of the power of social media and the importance of thinking carefully about the content that is shared online. In an age where information travels at lightning speed, brands must be vigilant in their messaging and mindful of the impact that their words can have on a global audience.