Forever 21 is taking heat after it angered customers with an arguably tone-deaf free giveaway campaign.
Online customers from across the U.S. took to Twitter to say they felt body-shamed when their orders of plus-sized swimsuits and clothing arrived in the mail with free snack bars from the famous diet brand Atkins.
Several customers shared and photos of their opened packages with Atkinsâ lemon bars inside. One angry Twitter user, who described herself as a size 18, âwhat are you trying to tell me Forever 21, Iâm FAT, LOSE WEIGHT?â
Another person, who ordered a plus-size swimsuit, that Forever 21âs gesture showed how the company were âjerks,â adding âan Adkins diet bar in my order is NOT COOL.â
But the free Atkins bars seem to have been sent to customers who ordered clothing in a range of sizes. One user âI just bought a bunch of (extra small and small) clothes and got one too. I don't think it's anything personal.â
Other people online echoed customersâ outrage, including magazine editor Samantha Puc who that Forever 21âs gesture was inappropriate and sent a âwildly dangerous message to ALL of its customers.â
Puc, who runs âFatventure Magâ an online publication which says it focuses on âactive lifestyles beyond the boundaries of weight-loss culture,â said the gesture could âtrigger people of all sizes who have (eating disorders).
Advertisements for the lemon bar, which is a part of Atkinsâ snack collection, is described as a way to âstick with your low carb diet.â The two main slogans on Atkinsâ website read âlose weightâ and âlive low carb.â
The Atkins diet and its weight-loss plan peaked in popularity around 2003.
Forever 21 says move was 'oversight'
CTVNews.ca reached out to Forever 21 for comment. In a statement provided to several news media outlets, the company admitted the gesture was a mistake.
âThis was an oversight on our part and we sincerely apologize for any offense this may have caused to our customers, as this was not our intention in any way,â it said.
The company explained that âfrom time to time, Forever 21 surprises our customers with free test products from third parties in their e-commerce orders.â
Forever 21 stressed it wasn't trying to body shame or send a message to people ordering plus-size clothing as the free Atkins bars were âincluded in all online orders, across all sizes and categories for a limited time.â
The clothing giant said the bars have since been removed. But itâs unclear if this was because of the backlash or because the campaign had run its course.