Burger Restaurant Uses ISIS Beheading In What Has To Be The Most Misguided Ad EVER

I’m sorry… but what kind of CRACK was whoever came up with this smoking?

Someone ACTUALLY thought this was a good idea.

HOW?

According to BPR:

A Washington, D.C., burger joint, Z-Burger, found itself facing a public relations nightmare when a social media company hired to promote the eatery tweeted out an image of murdered journalist James Foley, who was beheaded by ISIS, juxtaposed with a burger.

The highly offensive tweet, deleted within an hour, intended to convey that it was a “disgrace” to buy a hamburger from McDonald’s.

Amazed by the bad decisions that went into this ISIS-themed post from DC burger chain @zburger pic.twitter.com/ERLWI1xkxm

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) July 23, 2018

I mean… C’MON GUYS.

I’m all about irreverent humor… but YIIIKES.

The image of Foley is from a 2014 propaganda video showing Mohammed Emwazi, aka Jihadi John, beheading the journalist.

This was a real man who lost his life in the most gruesome way imaginable… Not exactly appetite inducing.

What makes it absolutely heartbreaking? Foley’s mother saw it… and was understandably shocked. Someone was using her son’s execution to SELL BURGERS.

I am very saddened that @Zburger would be so insensitive and ignorant of others’ pain while marketing their hamburger.

I look forward to hearing an apology from Peter Tabibian and Michael Valor and their promised donation to the foundation #inspiring moral courage.

-Diane Foley

— JamesFoleyFoundation (@JamesFoleyFund) July 24, 2018

The restaurant’s owner, whose family FLED IRAN in 1980, did indeed offer a donation, and has taken full responsibility.

Peter Tabibian, owner of the Z-Burger chain, told The Washington Post that he hired Valor Media of Raleigh, N.C., to run his company’s Twitter account.

“I’m really sorry about what happened,” Tabibian said. “I take full responsibility for what happened. It is my company.”

“I trusted someone to do stuff on behalf of us,” he continued. “I made a big mistake doing that. I’m very sorry to the Foley family and his friends and anybody who knows him.”

Tabibian, whose family fled Iran in the 1980s, said when he saw the Foley post, he “almost fell out of his chair and cried.”

He posted an apology on social media and noted that he ended his relationship with Valor Media.

pic.twitter.com/enW2EKWWl6

— zburger (@zburger) July 26, 2018

Valor Media also posted an “apology” …but it was kinda icky. I honestly feel like this guy is WAY more concerned with his own image and company than the company he SCREWED and the nasty content his company created.

Part 1 : Valor Media Apology #DC #Washingtonian #news @washingtonian @willsommer pic.twitter.com/ipU5yETLF8

— Michael Valor (@ValorCorp) July 23, 2018

Yeah. I’m not really that surprised this guy’s company came up with the ad… he’s on freaking crack. Slow down, dude.

He didn’t really take responsibility for it…he kind of blamed it on the “new art director.”

He did, however, remind us that he’s 23 about 4,000 times.

Ok bubba. If you’re old enough to run your own media business, you’re own enough to be accountable for your work.