KFC fried chicken.
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KFC Germany used the the anniversary of Kristallnacht as a promotional opportunity for fried chicken.
An hour later, the company sent out an apology message on the same app.
The company attributed the blunder to a system error.
KFC has apologized after using the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht to promote fried chicken and cheese.
On Wednesday, KFC Germany sent out a message on its app urging customers to “commemorate Kristallnacht” and “treat themselves to more tender cheese with crispy chicken,” according to multiple screenshots shared on Twitter.
Kristallnacht, coined “the night of the broken glass” because of the shattering of windows in shops and homes, refers to the night in which Nazis looted and destroyed Jewish properties on November 9, 1938. The night is widely considered to be the turning point in Nazi Germany’s escalation of the Holocaust.
An hour after it sent the first message, KFC sent out an apology, blaming the blunder on a system error, according to screenshots on Twitter.
KFC’s media relations team also released an apology statement attributing the system error to a lack of internal review processes, per The Washington Post.
“We use a semi-automated content creation process linked to calendars that include national observances. In this instance, our internal review process was not properly followed, resulting in a non-approved notification being shared,” the statement said.
The franchise said it has suspended app communications as it examines the current processes to ensure the incident does not happen again.
This is not the first time a food and beverage company has come under fire for releasing insensitive advertising that attacked marginalized communities.
Other notable cases include Pepsi’s 2017 Kendall Jenner ad, which critics said appropriated the Black Lives Matter movement. Pepsi apologized for the controversial ad and took it down after a day of backlash. And in June 2018, Burger King released an ad that offered a lifetime supply of Whoppers to Russian women who were impregnated by World Cup players. The ad was met with intense criticism, which led to Burger King taking down all promotional materials and releasing a media apology the next day.
KFC did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.