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Starbucks Korea's marketing mishap joins global list of tone-deaf campaigns

Published: 22 May. 2026, 10:23

American Eagle promotes its jeans featuring Sydney Sweeney on a display in Times Square on Aug. 18, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Starbucks Korea recently came under fire for its “Tank Day” promotion, joining a series of marketing campaigns widely criticized as insensitive to historical tragedies and social issues.

The company’s latest marketing campaign to promote its tumblers has received backlash, with Starbucks Korea being accused of using insensitive language toward the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.

The promotion ran on May 18, the anniversary of the democracy movement, and used phrases such as "Tank Day" and "Tak! on the desk," which many criticized for mocking the uprising.

Similar to the backlash facing Starbucks Korea, global companies have repeatedly faced criticism for marketing campaigns perceived as insensitive to disasters, wars, racial discrimination and social movements.

Starbucks Korea's recent campaign held on May 18. It used terms such as ″Tank Day″ and ″Tak on the desk.″ [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Adidas sent an email to finishers of the 2017 Boston Marathon with the subject line: “Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!”

The subject line evoked memories of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Two bombs exploded near the marathon's finish line, killing three and injuring more than 260.

Participants uploaded screenshots of the email to social media, prompting widespread criticism of Adidas. The company issued a statement saying "there was no thought given to the insensitive email subject line" and that it "deeply apologizes for [its] mistake."

An apology uploaded to Adidas's social media regarding the Boston Marathon [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Issues related to the Holocaust are considered even more sensitive.

In 2022, KFC sent a push notification to users of its mobile application in Germany that read: “It's memorial day for Kristallnacht! Treat yourself to more tender cheese on your crispy chicken.”

Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews that happened in 1938 in Nazi Germany. Some even consider it a precursor to the Holocaust.

KFC issued an apology just one hour after sending the message, and said it would review its internal processes to prevent similar incidents.

Zara also faced backlash in August 2014 after releasing a children’s shirt design that resembled uniforms worn in the Auschwitz concentration camp under Nazi Germany.

A children's shirt Zara released in 2014. The company withdrew the shirt after it was criticized for resembling uniforms worn in the Auschwitz concentration. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Inditex, Zara’s parent company, posted apologies in multiple languages on the same day the product was released and explained that the design had been “inspired by sheriff stars from classic Western films.” The product was immediately withdrawn and destroyed.

Advertisements accused of racial or gender discrimination have also sparked boycotts.

American fashion brand American Eagle faced controversy in July last year over a jean advertisement criticized for evoking racist imagery.

The campaign featured actor Sydney Sweeney of "Euphoria" (2019–) fame with the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” While the phrase was intended as a play on words between “jeans” and “genes,” critics argued it carried undertones of racial superiority and eugenics.

U.S. President Donald Trump also drew attention to the controversy after posting on social media: “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there. Go get 'em Sydney!”

Reuters reported at the time the campaign "faced backlash on social media over perceived racial undertones related to genetic traits."

In 2021, Burger King UK posted the message “Women belong in the kitchen” on Twitter, now known as X, on International Women’s Day.

Burger King UK's apology uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The post was made to promote the burger chain's scholarship for female employees pursuing a degree in culinary education, but criticism quickly emerged. Many argued that the sexist message undermined the campaign’s intended purpose, and Burger King later deleted the post and issued an official apology.

Consumers have also reacted negatively to campaigns seen as undermining social movements.

Pepsi released an advertisement in 2017 in which model Kendall Jenner handed cans of Pepsi to protesters and police officers confronting each other at a demonstration, after which the crowd erupted in cheers and reconciled.

Critics argued that the commercial used the Black Lives Matter movement as advertising material and treated it too lightly. Pepsi removed the advertisement one day later, apologizing by saying, “Clearly we missed the mark.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KI-HWAN [[email protected]]