When running a corporate social media account, there are a few things you need to avoid. Don’t accidentally post NSFW images. Don’t tell celebrities to “eat a d**k.” And don’t weigh in on presidential elections.
DC Comics fell foul of one of these rules on Sunday night, promoting a bumper sticker from MAD magazine. Incorporating Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton‘s campaign logos, it suggests that people vote for neither option.
The response on Twitter was not exactly positive.
This kind of parody is the lifeblood of MAD, but it wasn’t the best choice for parent company DC Comics. The 2016 election is very divisive, and it looks like someone made the mistake of thinking this bumper sticker’s “Neither!” message was a neutral option. It isn’t.
The bumper sticker buys into the idea that Trump and Clinton are equally dissatisfying candidates, an opinion that many people find offensive. It also suggests that people should either vote for a third-party candidate or avoid voting altogether, a very controversial idea during a close election. Possibly not the best message for the company behind Superman‘s motto of truth, justice, and the American way.
Much like Marvel‘s awkward attempt to show solidarity with victims of the Orlando shooting, this is a reminder that corporate social media teams should think twice before weighing in on complex political issues.