A Melbourne pub is learning the hard way that poor taste promotions are not good for business, following a wave of backlash over Facebook posts using the Queen’s death to spruik lunch.
Kelly’s Hotel in Cranbourne put up multiple posts on Friday, when news broke of the Queen’s passing, using photos of Prince Harry looking upset to implore customers to bring their “oldies” to the pub.
One post suggested Harry was another “Grandson inconsolable because he was too miserable to take his good auld Granny to lunch”.
Many people are willing to fiercely defend the royal family, but they weren’t alone amongst users rushing to express their “disgust” at what was quite universally judged “deplorable” marketing, with cries to “sack the clown that writes this crap”.
A number said they will not return. “Grubby advertising. Just makes me not want to go there.”
Some were less abusive, making the point that it is never appropriate to use someone else’s life as the subject of “stupid jokes” or “as a promotional thing”.
The pub quickly received dozens of one-star Google reviews.
The offending posts have since been deleted, in response to the widespread backlash.
Kelly’s has been a staple of the precinct for a century, and achieved AHA Awards at state and national level in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
GM Michael Goldie defended the posts in an interview with 7 News, claiming they were simply trying to look to the wellbeing of elderly citizens who have been stuck in homes, saying “we thought it might be good to remind younger people the importance of older people in their life”.
