Proving both that Mexico takes soccer very seriously, and airlines need to stop giving drunk interns control over their social media accounts, the Dutch airline KLM landed in hot water Sunday with a tweet poking fun at the Netherlands’ victory over Mexico in the World Cup, which many found racially insensitive and in poor taste.
Posted shortly after the Netherlands beat Mexico 2-1 in a World Cup Round of 16 match, the tweet read, “Adios Amigos! #NEDMEX,” along with a picture of a flight departures sign featuring a caricature wearing a sombrero.
Nee, niet sportief @klm #nedmex pic.twitter.com/Tm4syptsxP
— hellahueck (@hellahueck) June 29, 2014
Oof. Niet sportief, KLM. Niet sportief at all.
The tweet, which has since been deleted, caused an uproar among many of KLM’s Mexican followers, including Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal:
.@KLM I’m never flying your shitty airline again. Fuck you big time.
— Gael Garcia Bernal (@GaelGarciaB) June 29, 2014
Great social media strategy, @KLM . Tweet something offensive to many in your largest Latin American market. Delete it. Pray no one read it.
— Gabriel Guerra C (@gabrielguerrac) June 29, 2014
In really poor taste, shame on KLM social media team RT @KLM Adios Amigos! #NEDMEX https://t.co/ebB5YTLost
— Skift (@skift) June 29, 2014
KLM, good luck flying out of Mexico city now…
— Rafat Ali (@rafat) June 29, 2014
Such a Dutch tweet – just the wrong side of funny vs. arrogant RT @KLM: Adios Amigos! #NEDMEX https://t.co/HqlPrCD5jF
— Alastair Jamieson (@alastairjam) June 29, 2014
“@KLM: Adios Amigos! #NEDMEX https://t.co/dPY52f9J1f”??????? Remind me to never fly with you.
— ♛ WeraSupernova (@wera_supernova) June 29, 2014
Although it doesn’t look like KLM has issued an apology yet, if they do we hope it’s something like this (NSFW).
H/T New York Daily News | Photo by Lord of the Wings/Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0)