McDonald’s Offends Many with “Sundae Bloody Sundae” Halloween Promotion

Fast food giant McDonald’s came under hot water this Halloween for a promotion called “Sundae Bloody Sundae” in Portugal.

McDonald’s has already canceled the ice cream promotion that was available in Portugal for Halloween but not before receiving backlash for it.

“Bloody Sunday” was used to describe a massacre in Northern Ireland that took place January 30, 1972 where thirteen people were killed by the British army on Bloody Sunday.

The two-for-one “Sundae Bloody Sundae” promotion from McDonald’s was met with plenty of criticism on social media. One social media user wrote “Portugal is canceled,” on Twitter, while another commented: “On the scale of epic #prfail, this has to be up there with @KylieJenner’s Pepsi ad.”

According to CNBC, a spokesperson for McDonald’s Portugal said the ads were not intended to be an “insensitive reference to any historical event.”

In a statement, McDonald’s Portugal said it had developed a “local market activation for a small number of its restaurants in Portugal” — attempting to celebrate Halloween, not “to upset or insult anyone in any way.”

“We sincerely apologize for any offence or distress this may have caused,” the spokesperson added.

Disclaimer: We have no position in Mcdonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) and have not been compensated for this article.