Adidas has issued an apology after its marketing team sent out a mass email congratulating runners for ‘surviving the Boston Marathon’ four years after a terrorist attack at the finish line killed three people.
The insensitive gaffe was described as hugely inappropriate on social media with many race participants sharing a snapshot of the email they received from the sportswear giant.
Three people were killed and hundreds injured when two explosives detonated near the finish line of the race in 2013.
“Too soon Adidas,” was the message some Twitterati had for the company’s marketing team, while others simply voiced their upset at the poorly phrased comment.
At least two survivors of the 2013 bombing participated in this year's race on Monday, according to Bloomberg.
Adidas, the official sponsor of Boston Marathon, responded to the backlash by apologizing, noting that “clearly there was no thought given to the insensitive subject line we sent Tuesday.”
The incident follows on from a series of recent PR disasters by massive global brands, namely Pepsi, United Airlines and Nivea.
READ MORE: Pepsi apologizes, pulls controversial Kendall Jenner protest ad