Brand engagement is a tricky thing. While it can be done to hilarious or moving effect, more often than not it comes across lame and tone-deaf at best. Well, the marketing team for the upcoming “film,” The Emoji Movie, have landed at worst. On Friday, the movie’s official Twitter account tweeted out an image portraying a smiley face as Offred from The Handmaid’s Tale. It took a few days for the ad to pick up steam, but by Monday, Twitter found it. At the point of publishing this post, the tweet has been deleted, but the internet is forever.
For those of you who haven’t caught the Emmy-nominated Hulu series or read Margaret Atwood’s classic novel, The Handmaid’s Tale envisions an American future shrouded in religious dogma and the ritual suppression and abuse of women. Not only have women been stripped of their rights, they are enslaved, brutalized, murdered for dissent, and regularly raped. In short, not exactly the logical way to market a children’s film.
After the first trailer, it was clear that The Emoji Movie was never going to be great cinema, but this is still a shockingly tasteless move. As it is wont to do, Twitter (rightfully) was quick to point out that this was bad and Sony should feel bad.
Ok explain how putting an emoji dressed as a handmaid from The Handmaids Tale = funny or appropriate marketing for a "family movie"? https://t.co/pEcYKSZWKT
— Cher Martinetti (@thecherness) July 24, 2017
WHAT A KNEE SLAPPER that an emoji's dressed like a character stripped of their rights & repeatedly raped & forced to have babies! ROTFL https://t.co/WogJy8zlFD
— Cher Martinetti (@thecherness) July 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/MarcSnetiker/status/889602904025214976
https://twitter.com/AndrewHusband/status/889610548027035648
https://twitter.com/allisonshoe/status/889607678271643648
Hey… you know what could have helped avoid tone-deaf shit like this? (Hiring more women) https://t.co/WUAbIIaLXa
— Maybe: Alyssa (@lyssiefikse) July 24, 2017
i'm screaming look how happy this emoji is pic.twitter.com/BT4ne1898Z
— AB (@AlannaBennett) July 24, 2017
What's next? Schindler's Emoji? 12 Years an Emoji? Emojis Don't Cry? Emoji: Made in America?
— Eileen Andrews (@ThatEileenEnby) July 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/jonnyricers/status/889603981412110337
— Sarah Hurwitz Jacob (@knityorkcity) July 24, 2017
hey do you take criticism for your posts
— black-hearted evil (he/they) (@itsrbaku) July 24, 2017
Did you… did you watch The Handmaid's Tale?
— Merry Boo-cas 🎄 (@lucas_hack12) July 24, 2017
— omri (@Omri_Rawrlan) July 24, 2017
oh guys 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/UGaWOklwc8
— Ryan Love (@RyanJL) July 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/Crommunist/status/889605616251019264
oh honey no. Just no
— @carlivelocci.com on the other app (@velocciraptor) July 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/Dankmilesmemes/status/889577697625681920
Bright side: This movie company will be writing a nice check to @PPact soon.
— Dennis Perkins Will Never Pay Apartheid Boy A Dime (@DennisPerkins5) July 24, 2017
um… pic.twitter.com/XXyVPs5WRf
— Leslie J. Anderson (@inkhat) July 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/rillawafers/status/889605585963933699
— Maeve Shade (@iamasomething) July 24, 2017
I can't decide what's worse, this gross ad or the fact that Emoji Movie is so below everyone's radar that nobody noticed it for two days pic.twitter.com/15toCAhkwZ
— Victoria McNally (@vqnerdballs) July 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/pvermillions/status/889618700986351617
just when u thought the emoji movie couldn't get any worse https://t.co/VJiFADSCyo
— Lilia (@Lilia_PF) July 24, 2017
2017: ?? ?? ?, I guess.