delta-coca-cola-creepy-napkins

blackqualis/Flickr (CC-BY-SA)

Delta, Coke apologize for napkins encouraging on-flight flirting

People on Twitter found the napkins to be 'creepy.'

 

Eilish O'Sullivan

IRL

Posted on Feb 6, 2019   Updated on May 20, 2021, 7:45 pm CDT

Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola have apologized for handing out controversial napkins to passengers on flights, Insider reports.

The napkins varied in text and generally encouraged passengers to flirt “old-school” style with one another, which creeped people out. A Delta spokesperson said the airline “missed the mark” with the marketing tactic, and a Coca-Cola spokesperson said the napkins are being removed and replaced with a new design.

“We rotate Coke products regularly as part of our brand partnership, but missed the mark with this one,” a Delta spokesperson told Insider. “We are sorry for that and began removing the napkins from our aircraft in January.”

“We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson told INSIDER.

On the of the napkins, there is space for the name and number of your “plane crush.”

“Because you’re on a plane full of interesting people and hey … you never know,” one of the napkins read.

Another said: “Be a little old school. Write down your number and give it to your plane crush. You never know…”

The napkins were rolled out in January—but rolled back in the same month following backlash on social media.

“Hey @Delta and @CocaCola These napkins are creepy AF,” one person tweeted. “Pretty sure no one appreciated unsolicited phone numbers in the ‘good old days’ and they sure as heck don’t want the number of someone who has been gawking at them on a plane for hours today. Not a good look.”

https://twitter.com/LMCatalano/status/1090780347564990464

One user invoked the Me Too movement with a #TimesUp.

https://twitter.com/ceokeeffeaolco1/status/1091377653398020096

“Napkins received from @Delta on Wednesday flight seem unintentionally creepy, especially after reading the smaller print. Swing and a miss, @DietCoke,” another tweeted.

Some people, though, didn’t mind the napkins and even tweeted in support of the companies.

https://twitter.com/payalofthoughts/status/1092469574547787777

“@Delta I support you and those cute ass napkins! Lol people always finding a way to be mad. Sincerely- a happily partnered male looking at the lighter things in life,” user @bphunter07 wrote.

https://twitter.com/Ninja_Misty/status/1093234132811988994

https://twitter.com/claireeethomps/status/1093228311411654657

H/T Insider

Share this article
*First Published: Feb 6, 2019, 6:49 pm CST