Applebee’s Apologizes After CNN Aired Its Ad Along With Coverage Of Russian’s Invasion Of Ukraine
Applebee’s and CNN got some shit PR yesterday as Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Wondering how that’s related? CNN decided that they needed to get those advertising dollars but did not want to cut away from their coverage of the attack on Ukraine, so they combined the two. And they got shit for it. Well, Applebee’s doesn’t appreciate being the newest Internet meme and so they have suspended running ads on CNN.
The Wrap says that during CNN’s coverage of air attacks on Ukraine by Russian forces, the network split-screened an Applebee’s commercial as it said: “RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE” right next to it. It’s bad, like, they play Zac Brown Band‘s Chicken Fried, and it goes: “And a little bit of chicken fried!” immediately after you hear air raid sirens warning the people of Kyiv of an impending attack so they can get to shelter–the song cuts into it! It’s sooooooo dystopian. There’s a reason the Black Mirror creator said life was too bleak to make the show. The Internet soon caught on to this nonsense and even commentator, Keith Olberman, was roasting the choice:
Death from the skies…sponsored by @applebees https://t.co/DZrjHX3aXy
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 24, 2022
ngl the time i'm most likely to go to an applebees is when shit has truly hit the fan and i just want to drink a two dollar beer and eat mozzarella sticks and cry
— Jessica Huseman (@JessicaHuseman) February 24, 2022
Really, CNN? There's this thing called tone and tact. Look it up. Because your blending of commercials and all hell breaking out in Europe isn't working. pic.twitter.com/yhnag26JQ5
— Scott Whitlock (@ScottJW) February 24, 2022
A staff writer at Forbes, Marty Swant, tweeted a statement from Applebee’s where they say that they are “deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine,” and that they had “immediately reached out to CNN to pause our advertising on their network,” when they found out about how the ad was run. Here’s the full statement:
I asked Applebee’s about the now-viral ad that aired on CNN today during the live broadcast of Russia's attack on Ukraine and just got the following statement: pic.twitter.com/q3rxA4cJxN
— Marty Swant (@martyswant) February 24, 2022
See, this is why I don’t even bother with CNN. I only watch C-NN–the Cardi B News Network. As we’ve seen from her previous comments on the crisis in Ukraine, she has much more relevant political commentary and also much more journalistic tact.
Pic: CNN