‘TMNT 2014’ Poster: Paramount Apologizes For 9/11 Snafu
The TMNT 2014 poster released for Australian audiences received some huge backlash, and it’s not for what Michael Bay usually does with his films. Though some parody sites have poked fun at the director and producer by claiming the film added realistic “turtle junk,” the real offense came from something much more serious.
The Australian version of the film is planned to be released on September 11, and through a horrible decision on behalf of the marketing team, the poster showed a tower exploding as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles appear to be escaping. The Turtles storyline takes place in New York City, so it looks like a blatant insult.
What a thoughtful poster for 9/11. RT @ParamountAU Check out the official poster for #TMNT in cinemas September 11! pic.twitter.com/7LPYXHWlVB
— Martin Wefail (@wefail) July 29, 2014
After the image was seen on Twitter, the public instantly began informing Paramount Australia of their outrage:
“Wow Paramount you sure messed up with the TMNT poster”
“WHO thought that poster would be a good idea considering date?? Or did they just think no one would notice?”
September 11, 2001 was the day terrorists attacked the twin towers known as the World Trade Center and caused the deaths of nearly 3,000 people, and the TMNT 2014 poster for Australia’s release date was just a horrible choice. The date and the imagery created an outrage, as you would expect, and Paramount has realized their mistake.
The studio issued the following apology for their poor judgment:
“We are deeply sorry to have used that artwork for the marketing materials promoting the September 11 opening in Australia. Combining that image and date was a mistake. We intended no offense and have taken immediate action to discontinue its use.”
We imagine some marketing people at Paramount Australia have been fired for that snafu as well, because it was just grossly inappropriate.
Was their apology enough? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles poster for the Australian release date could have cost thousands of ticket sales alone as survivors of the tragedy may have decided to boycott the film in honor of their lost loved ones.
The TMNT 2014 poster from Paramount Australia is easily the worst choice for a Michael Bay movie since the twins from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Can the film recover from this public disgrace?
[image via wallwidehd]
