Bloomingdale's Issues Apology for Holiday Ad

Bloomingdale’s is facing a huge public backlash.

ByABC News
November 12, 2015, 11:23 AM
Shoppers pass by Bloomingdale's department store in New York in this Dec. 6, 2012 stock photo.
Shoppers pass by Bloomingdale's department store in New York in this Dec. 6, 2012 stock photo.
Alamy

— -- Bloomingdale’s is facing a huge public backlash over an advertisement in the department store’s recent holiday catalog that some complained makes light of date rape.

The ad, which was posted on Tuesday, features a male model looking at a woman, who is laughing and appears not to notice him, with the caption: "Spike your best friend's eggnog when they're not looking."

But to many, the ad appears in poor taste and is insensitive toward the serious issue of date rape, prompting the department store to quickly apologize.

"In reflection of recent feedback, the copy we used in our recent catalog was inappropriate and in poor taste,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Bloomingdale’s sincerely apologizes for this error in judgment."

Bloomingdale’s also apologized on its Twitter account.

Many on Twitter were baffled by the ad and sharply questioned how the department store made the decision to publish it in the first place.

Others took notice of the ad's suggestive undertones about using drugs to facilitate a sexual assault.

Bloomingdale's is not the only company facing accusations this year about insensitive ads. A Bud Light label went viral in April, with the slogan: "The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night." Anheuser-Busch immediately apologized after images of the label spread online.