‘The Emoji Movie’s Marketing Team Probably Hasn’t Watched ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’


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.

https://twitter.com/MarcSnetiker/status/889602904025214976

https://twitter.com/AndrewHusband/status/889610548027035648

https://twitter.com/allisonshoe/status/889607678271643648

https://twitter.com/jonnyricers/status/889603981412110337

https://twitter.com/Crommunist/status/889605616251019264

https://twitter.com/Dankmilesmemes/status/889577697625681920

https://twitter.com/rillawafers/status/889605585963933699

https://twitter.com/pvermillions/status/889618700986351617

2017: ?? ?? ?, I guess.