Wowcher forced to apologise after marketing pokes fun at boy (3) attacked by crocodile at Huntingdonshire zoo
E-commerce website Wowcher has been forced to issue an apology after its marketing poked fun at the victim of a crocodile attack.
Over the weekend, the company sent out emails offering holiday deals but with the subject line ‘Snap up these deals quicker than a croc can catch a kid!’
The advert has received widespread condemnation online, which has forced Wowcher into withdrawing it and issuing an apology.
A spokesperson for the company said: “We are extremely sorry for an email subject line sent by Wowcher.
“The wording was unacceptable. It should never have been written. It was never approved for use.
"he responsibility sits with us and we are urgently reviewing how our processes failed. We recognise the hurt and distress it has caused, particularly for the young child’s family at this unimaginably difficult time.
“We are reviewing all scheduled marketing content while we urgently strengthen our creative, approval and sign-off safeguards.
“There is no excuse for this. We apologise unreservedly and will take the necessary steps to make sure this does not happen again.”
The slogan was in direct response to a three-year-old boy who ended up in the crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, close to Huntingdon on Thursday (June 18).
The boy was taken to hospital after being attacked by a crocodile. He was in a critical condition but has since become stable.
Zoo staff had to leap into the closure to save the boy before he was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
Police arrested a 30-year-old man at the scene but he been released on bail until September 18 when officers deemed him not fit for interview.